Persona Academy
by Miss Hanamura
Summary: "Fukushima is a recently built highschool for gifted teenagers, and teaches them to hone and control the power known as Persona. But, every school has it's dark secret, and this one is about to unravel..." — Original story. Unfinished.
1. Poll

**Please chose one or two of the following you like the most! And please, try not to vote for your own o.e**

Name: Hijiri Megumi

Gender: male

Age: 23

Birthday: Nineteenth of August

Zodiac: Leo

Height: '6,2"

Weight: 102 lbs

Blood type: AB-

Year: none -he is a teacher-

Weapon: katana

Arcana: Temperance

Persona: Vulcanus

Inherit: Fire, Mudo

Strength(s): Fire, Alignments

Null(s): Light, Dark

Weak: Ice

-character appearance-

Black curly hair, cold deep midnight blue eyes, wears a buttoned white shirt with his sleeves rolled up, dark blue jeans, and has a small cut underneath his left eye.

-personality-

Up front, he's a kind teacher, but underneath, he's cold, and will do anything it will take to get what he wants. He is something like that of a cold murderer.

-backround-

When he was in middle school, he had a younger sister and had no parents, so it was basically had a 'us against the world', but was killed in a car accident, this was when his cold side was exposed. He never trusted anyone, and was known to only use his kind side just to manipulate people to get information on the person who killed his sister. He was also an old childhood friend of Hei's before he ran away from his parents.

-how you heard of the school/why you enrolled-

He was offered a chance by the vice principle when he was told that his sister's killer was there.

-battle quotes-

Tch, you seriously think you can beat me? Well, let's see how good you are! -when entering battle-

Let me show you how strong I am! -when summoning persona for the first time-

I'll avenge her death! -when summoning persona-

This is for you, my sister! -when gaining a critical hit/weakness attack-

My turn! -attacking-

Just die already! -attacking-

Your slow! -dodges attack-

Weak! -dodges attack-

I WILL kill him! -recovers from down status-

I won't go down! -recovers from down status-

Heh, your stronger than you look! Are you the one who... -health reduced to 75%-

Were you the one who did it? ANSWER ME! -health reduced to 50%-

Tell me now dammit! I won't hesitate to kill you! -health reduced to 25%-

Sis...ter... -defeated-

* * *

Basic

Name: Hana Yoshida

Gender: Female

Age:17

Birthday: February 18th

Zodiac: Aquarius

Height: 5'7

Weight:102

Blood type: O -

Year: 3rd

Weapon: Machete

Arcana: Death

Persona

Initial: Alice

Apearance: shoulder-length blond hair, with a purple dress

Ultimate Persona: White Rider

Inherit: death, dark

Weak: light

Character Apearance

Hana has curly dark auburn hair, that goes to her shoulders, dark brown eyes, and pale skin. She wears a black sweater, with a white skirt, black pantyhose, and black ankle length boots.

Personality: Hana is insane. She wants to beat everyone and wants the principal to view her as unbeatable, she will stop at nothing to achieve greatness, and she will actually kill somebody to do it.

Bio: N/A

Have you heard of the School: Hana's parents found out she was a persona user at a young age so they thought sending her the school would help her.

* * *

Name: Akira Hiroshita

Gender: male

age: 19

birthday: unknown

zodiac: unknown

height: '6,1"

weight: roughly 100 lbs

Blood Type: unknown

Year: 3rd

Weapon: pistol

Arcana: World

-Persona-

Initial Persona: Azrael; Archangel of Death

-appearance: long black hair that stretches to his feet, wears nothing, his eyes are closed, but during magic casting, they open to reveal glowing azure blue, and glowing runes mark his hands and legs, his arms are casually folded, and his legs are closed together, his wings are black, signifying his role, and behind his four wings is a gold ring, also signifying his role as an angel

Ultimate Persona: Anubis; Jackal of Egypt

-appearance:he has a human figure, wears a loincloth around his waist, black, and his hair is rather short and bedheaded, black, and his eyes are red, golden armbands around his biceps, and his feet are bare, however, he has a scale on one hand, while in the other, is a glowing white feather, encased in black flames. R/N:(it will sound familiar because it's the Feather of Truth, read the Kane Chronicles)

Inherit: Darkness, Light, Physical

Strength(s): Physical, Almighty

Null(s): Light, Darkness

-Anubis Only: Strength(s): Fire, Ice, Elec, Wind

-Anubis only: Null(s): Physical

-Anubis Only: Repel(s): Light, Darkness

Weak: Fire, Ice, Elec, Wind, alignments

-character appearance-

up front, he is particularly handsome to most girls, mostly because they are interested in his unnatural shade of eye color, teal grey. He has white hair that covers his head, but does not go past his shoulders, or even touch them for that matter. Instead of a uniform, he wears a red and black v-striped long sleeved shirt, the sleeves go past his fingertips, black slacks, and red sneakers with white soles. around his wrist is a black watch with the words "Innocent Sin engraved into the center. (sound familiar?)

-personality-

he has a rather unique view on death, and questions why people exist. He asks these questions to the protagonist, because he is rather interested, and amused, saying to him often that he is a unknowing participant in the Masked One's "little game". Even though he is kind-hearted to people who are good, and cold-hearted to those who are bad, he only wants to die.

-backround-

not much is known about him, other than the fact that he enrolled in the school only six weeks after it was founded. He has no known parents or legal gaurdions, and has had his persona since his childhood. It first appeared when a man with crimson hair and blood eyes tried to kill him, the being Azrael appeared and killed the mugger. Ever since, Akira thinks that he is Death, and that he must also die as well. For some unknown reason or another, he has a distinct fascination with butterfly's, and is amused that he is also a participant in the "Masked One"'s little game.

-how you heard of the school/why you enrolled-

joined the school when he learned of it's existance through an anonymous tip by a man simply called "Nylar".

* * *

Basic

Name: Yamato Kirigaya

Gender: Male

Age: 17

Birthday: January 24

Zodiac: Leo

Height: '5,9"

Weight: 99 lbs

Blood Type: O

Year: 2nd

Weapon: Dual Gun

Arcana: Death

Persona

Initial: Opfus, The Infinite Dragon

Appearance: A Scary looking black dragon with a purple flame-like patern in its body. Opfus can use all kind of dark power.

Ultimate Persona: Bahamut, The Apocalypse Dragon

Appearance: A fearful red dragon with a Lighting-like and Flame Like Black patterns on its body. Bahamud can use all kind of Dark, and Almighty Power.

Inherit: Dark/Almighty

Strength(s): Dark and Almighty

Null(s): Dark and Almighty(Bahmut-only)

Drain(s): None

Weak: Light

Character Appearance

He has dark black hair that surpass his ears, both eyes are colored dark purple. When not in school, he wears on cold days a Jet Black Jacket, black jeans, and dark black combat boots. When it's hot he wears black shirt with white shorts that come down to his knees.

Personality

He is cold at anyone, and doesn't care about the world. He only like to batlles. He always show no mercy when fighting someone. He also a genius.

Background: His parents were killed by some murderer, and since that day he awaken his persona. After that incident he never trust anyone again.

How you heard of the school/why you enrolled: he heard about the school have many tough student in there. So he decide challenge every student in there.

* * *

Name: Kyofu (From Fear) Mukuro (From Corpse or Dead body)

Gender: male

Age: 16

Birthday: 31 october

Zodiac: Scorpion

Height: 178

Weight: 60

Blood Type: O

Year: 2nd years

Weapon: Claw

Arcana: Fool

-PERSONA-

Initial: Zagreus : God of Orphic Mysteries

-appearance: it just like a mist, he didn't have a shape. Just like a black mist, but don't worry-he still can attacked with a magic spell

Ultimate: Hades : God of Death

-appearance: white skin, with red eyes and have a red wings, he have a coffin in his back.

Inherit: Physical - just for Initial persona Darkness and Fire - Just for Ultimate persona

Strength(s): fire

Null(s): Physical

Weak: Ice - for Zagreus none - for Hades

-CHARACTER APPEARANCE-

Snowy hair with heterochromia (Blue and red) eyes, have an star tattoo under his right eyes. He always wearing a white gloves except when he's in a battle

-PERSONALITY-

He has a cheerful disposition around the people, even though he knew of the latter's betrayal. However, this is only if they hold his interest. Once he "gets bored" of someone, he won't hesitate to have them killed. How should I called it... uhm... Yandere?

-BACKROUND-

He's an orphanage that was one of the children experimented on by some of scientists because of his persona's power. One day, he killed his captors with his persona, and he escaped from that place. Sometimes, he is searching for the people who have a same power with him. But if he "gets bored" with that people, he killed them with his persona.

-How you heard of the school/why you enrolled-

He heard from his ex-friend (and killed them after that) about that school and interest from his secret and want to find the strong people who have a same power with him. So, he enrolled

* * *

Name: Faust Jurokuno

Gender: male

Age: 20

Birthday: Ninth of April

Zodiac: Gemini

Height: '6,2"

Weight: 150 lbs

Blood Type: AB

Year: none -he is not a student, he is an outsider, and is known for having a split personality disorder-

Weapon: combat knife

Arcana: Death

-PERSONA-

Initial: Nylarathotep, god of faces

-appearance: black skin with red wings, has humanoid shape, his face has no facial features, red hair that reaches to his shoulders, golden gauntlets and greaves, and a tail that twirls around his body

Ultimate: Aphophis, lord of chaos

-appearance: black skin, bloody red eyes, resembles a dragon, but does not have wings

Inherit: Darkness/Fire

Strength(s): fire, physical

Null(s): Darkness, Light

-Aphophis only: Drain(s): Fire

-Aphophis only: Repel(s): Darkness

-Aphophis only: Strength(s): Physical

Weak: none

-CHARACTER APPEARANCE-

darkish grey hair around the bangs, but has white hair around the center of his scalp. He wears a white zip hoodie, a black leather jacket with two red stripes around his biceps, greyish blue jeans, and NSS sneakers colored neon green

-PERSONALITY-

Has a disorder, one is sadistic, one is gloomy, one is fearful, and the other is just plain emo. He follows his employers orders like a hound, and will do anything to see Hei dead, for reasons unknown. He mistakes him for his brother, whom he thinks had died two years ago.

-BACKROUND-

He has absolutely no known history, other than the fact that he is wanted for murder on three accounts, and is suspected in being a student in Fukushima Academy. He almost look's like Hei, however, this may have lead to the reason why Faust believes Hei is his dead brother, who abused him, similar to how Nakamura's parents abused him.

* * *

Basic

Name: Solomon Meursault

Gender: Male

Age: 17

Birthday: November 22

Zodiac: Sagittarius

Height: 6' 0"

Weight: 160 lbs.

Blood Type: AB

Year: 3rd

Weapon: Revolver

Arcana/Social Link: Devil

Persona

Initial: Lear, the tragic king from William Shakespeare's "King Lear," who disowned his daughter and brought tragedy upon his while family. He went mad, and though he killed the murderer of his beloved daughter, he dies from grief over the loss of Cordelia.

Ultimate: N/A Well, I'm assuming so since he's an antagonist, ha ha. If he needs one, though, I can come up with one.

Inherit: Agi skills, Mudo skills, Status effect skills

Strength: Agi, Mudo

Weak: Ice, Light

Appearance

Due to the European blood running in his veins, Solomon is quite tall, standing at a full six feet even. He hovers over the majority of his Japanese peers, a fact that he indulges in quite a bit, especially when he's being harassed. He weighs one hundred and sixty pounds, but despite being well-muscled he's very lean. He certainly doesn't look like someone who hold his own in a fight because of his figure (tall and fairly lanky), so people tend to underestimate him.

He's very fair-skinned, and though he does spend a good amount of time in the sun he's constantly lathering himself in sun tan lotion. He burns and peels easily, so he'll even bring an umbrella with him if he's going to the beach with friends. He has shaggy blond hair that extends just slightly passed his nape. His hair tends to fall to the right, and while it doesn't completely cover his eye, several strands are always hanging in it. His eyes are a bright, sharp azure blue, and people often comment about how they always have a mischievous glint in them.

Solomon has two piercings, both of which are in his ear lobes. They're always occupied with simple black studs, though they're rarely seen because of his hair. He also has a solid black star tattooed onto the left-back of his neck. It's not large, but it's noticeable if one ever sees him shift his hair. Again, it's quite difficult to spot because of the shagginess of his hair.

One thing to note is that he never has an indifferent or negative emotion on his face. He's always seen with a smirk or smile, though the latter is usually accompanied with a questionable spark in his eye. Even when he's angry he's bearing a full smile, and perhaps that's what makes him most unpredictable.

Dress to impress, so is his motto when it comes to fashion anyways. When outside of school, Solomon tends to dress like a man ten years ahead of his age: with long-sleeved, button-down shirts, vests, ties, and dress pants. Even at the dorm, when he's not planning  
to go out, he'll wear something nice.

Solomon always wears a thick silver band around his left middle finger. It's very rarely seen, though, because of his odd obsession with gloves. He's always wearing gloves, whether it be in battle or simply at school. He has no real reason why. (He secretly thinks they make him look badass.) He doesn't ever take off his gloves; he even sleeps with them, claiming that his fingers get cold at night.

Personality

At first glance, Solomon is nothing short of the perfect gentleman. He opens doors for everyone, whether it be an elderly couple, a young woman, or even his own male peers. He speaks to everyone with the utmost respect, and he's certainly picked up on the Japanese custom of bowing. He'll even willingly extend his umbrella to a fellow student if it's raining after school, offering to walk them home so they don't get wet. He's always very careful with his words, making it appear as though he's sensitive to others' emotions and feelings. He'll go out of his way to help someone who's in pain or in need, even if it's inconvenient for him. On top of that, no matter what strenuous activity he's going through, he's always wearing a smile.

Every action, every word, every thought that Solomon has holds an ulterior motive. Whether if it's to promote his image, to blackmail someone, or simply for self-satisfaction, he never does anything for anyone else. Solomon is selfish, and he certainly isn't above using others to enhance what he already has. He's sly and cunning, and he's a mastermind when it comes to other people. He's an excellent reader of people, though his observations are cold and factual. Solomon makes it his business to find out just what those weaknesses are. He can read people very well, and he can come to a conclusion about them within minutes  
of meeting them.

No one ever knows what Solomon is truly thinking or feeling because he hides his emotions so well. That's half the reason why he's always smiling — it makes it impossible for others to tell what his true intentions are. Because he can read others so well, and because he can make deductions just from watching how people react, he has a strong grasp over his feelings and emotions. He reveals only what he wishes to reveal, and everything else he keeps locked away. If he's angry or irritated, he'll keep it hidden, displaying it only through smooth words. Additionally, Solomon doesn't feel guilt. He's free to do whatever he chooses because there's nothing holding him back; so he likes to say anyways.

Background

The large Meursault family has the most power it's had in centuries. It's one  
of the wealthiest families in France, yet its reputation is still as poor as it had been in the  
dark ages. They are said to deal with the black market, and all of their business negotiations  
are questionable. Still, no one is powerful enough to raise questions or make accusations.

Solomon is the son to Nihel Meursault, the current head of the Meursault family. He's a  
stern, strict man, and Solomon will swear that he's never seen his own father smile. He's  
constantly caught up in business affairs, and he's rarely at home. Nihel takes his business  
and his reputation seriously, but he isn't above using dirty tactics to get what he wants. He's

a bit of a slave driver, especially when it comes to his son, so he and Solomon have a very  
poor relationship. The same goes for his mother Adelaide, who is as frigid as her husband. In general, Solomon has poor relations with his parents and keeps distance between them (literally and figuratively).

He was very isolated in elementary school, but became much more social later on. The teachers didn't realize, however, that he was using his friends for money and toys; already he was picking up his knack for manipulating people.

He was expected to inherit his father's company, but in an act of sheer defiance (and really no other reason), he outright denied them. He was kicked out at thirteen, and from there he lived with various friends. Despite their cold attitude towards him, his parents took some responsibility eventually - and shipped him off to Japan, where he could attend a boarding school and hopefully "learn some manners."

He had quite a bit of problems during his first year in Japan, both because he was trying to get used to using the language and because he was unaccustomed to Japanese culture. He often got into arguments with his peers, and he was constantly harassed (mostly because of his ridiculous French pride), but he eventually found a way to fit in. He was still as sociable as ever, and he was still faking every friendship he forged. No one seemed to notice though, and it was all just fine.

How you heard of the school/why you enrolled: He attended the neighborhood middle school and a normal high school for a while, simply to have something to do. His persona awakened back home in France; he caught a peek at it as a child. Lear surfaced during an argument with some kids. He paid little attention to the persona until he heard of the school in Fukushima, when he began to research a little about it. It struck his interest, so he enrolled.


	2. Biographies

| Basic |

Name: Hei Nakamura

Gender: Male

Age: 17

Birthday: January 10th

Zodiac: Leo

Height: '5,9"

Weight: 99 lbs

Blood Type: O-

Year: 2nd

Weapon: Gloves/Spear

Arcana/Social Link: Fool/World

| Persona |

Initial: Loki, Trickster of Asgaurd

Appearance: Has a black tight suit that exposes his chest, normal colored skin, blue eyes, short blonde hair, and two demon-like wings on his back.

Ultimate Persona: Apollo

Appearance: i . neoseeker ca/persona2_conceptart_g0i7y . jpg (remove spaces)

Inherit: Fire/Almighty

Strength(s): Fire, Dark, Light

Apollo only-Null(s): Light, Dark

Apollo only-Drain(s): Fire

Weak: Ice

| Character Appearance |

He has dark red hair that covers his left eye, both eyes are colored deep red, and he has a flushed complexion. When not in school, he wears on cold days a heavy black jacket with a fur trimmed hoodie, the back has a picture of a lion, grey jeans, and dark black combat boots. When it's hot he wears a white tee with pale and light brown shorts that come down to his knees.

| Personality |

He's always calm, never believes anything until he see's it with his own two peepers, Caring for his friends, often funny, often serious, and has never ONCE had a girlfriend, so he's completely oblivious to how a girl reacts to him. Sometimes he is rebellious against his parents, due to their abusive nature, and he is often curious when it comes to things that catch his interest, mainly love.

Background: His parents were so abusive that he had ran away from home when he was six; parental rights were transfered over to his elementary school teacher, Mr. Luing, and he grew up to respect his elders. He also values friendship over everything, especially to his foster parent, and will do anything to protect them. Without him knowing it, he has one hell of a huge fanbase of girls, and several boys who look up to him.

How you heard of the school/why you enrolled: He had overheard a rumor about the school from an old bartender at the bar he worked part-timed at, so he looked it up, and when he heard of the scholarship, he immediately enrolled, due to the fact that his foster parent had been licensed to the hospital, due to his health.

* * *

| Basic |

Name: Naoki Erizawa

Gender: Female

Age: 15

Birthday: August 21st

Zodiac: Leo

Height: '5,0"

Weight: 105 lbs

Blood Type: B

Year: 1st

Weapon: Longbow

Arcana/Social Link: Justice

| Persona |

Intial: Virtue

Ultimate: Eos, Goddess of Dawn

Inherit: Light

Strength(s): Light

Weak: Dark

| Appearance |

Light brown, curly hair tied into pigtails, dark brown eyes, pale skin, petite build. She gets cold easily, so she wears a yellow sweater over her uniform, and wears a bow instead of a tie.

| Personality |

Good Traits: Energetic, Bubbly, Agreeable, Optimistic, Creative

Bad Traits: Stubborn, Irresponsible, Unpredictable, Unforgiving, Distracted

* * *

| Basic |

Name: Misako Nakamura

Gender: Female

Age: 18

Birthday: September 22nd

Zodiac: Virgo

Height: '5,8"

Weight: 142 lbs

Blood Type: A

Year: 3rd

Weapon: N/A

Arcana/Social Link: Star

| Persona |

Intial: Iris, Goddess of Rainbows

Ultimate: Theia, Goddess of Sight

Inherit: N/A (She's the informational support of the team)

Strength(s): None

Weak: None

| Appearance |

Reddish orange hair that goes past her shoulders, grey colored eyes, peach skin, and a lithe build. She wears the standard uniform with a tan jersey jacket, black shorts, white belt, black panty hose, and brown boots.

| Personality |

Good Traits: Hardworking, Honest, Intelligent, Open-minded, Gentle

Bad Traits: Unsocial, Quiet, Clumsy, Misjudging, Impatient

* * *

| Basic |

Name: Daichi Takahashi

Gender: Male

Age: 20

Birthday: June 1st

Zodiac: Gemini

Height: '6,3"

Weight: 168 lbs

Blood Type: O

Year: N/A

Weapon: Baton

Arcana/Social Link: Magician

| Persona |

Intial: Haya-Ji, God of the Whirlwind

Ultimate: Susanowo, God of Storms

Inherit: Electricity

Strength(s): Electricity, Wind

Weak: Ice

| Appearance |

Slicked back dark brown hair, blue/green eyes, tan skin, lanky build. He wears something like a lab coat with a white t-shirt underneath, khaki pants, brown belt, and dark green slippers.

| Personality |

Good Traits: Compassionate, Fun-loving, Happy-go-lucky, Optimistic, Down to earth

Bad Traits: Immature, Sarcastic, Insensitive, Selfish, Vindictive

* * *

Name: Narashino "The Demon King" Oda

Age: 17

Gender: Male

Birthday: June 21st, 1995

Zodiac: Cancer

Arcana: Moon

Apperince: At school, he has the uniform with his silver ring thar has the words "Death before Dishonor" cut into it. Narashino also has a black leather jacket and fingerless gloves. Outside of school, he wears a black dress shirt, a dark blue sweater vest, and black dress pants. He has the Oda clan symbol tatooed on his right arm. He has crew cut black hair, green slit like eyes, and a scar on his face in the shape of an x.

Personality: Narashino is a very ambitious person, wanting to become prime minister of Japan. He has a "You are with me or against me" mind set, meaning he dosen't make friends that often. Narashino belives that he must surpass his ansestor's dream of Japanese control, Nobunaga. He is cold, calculating, but he's a sucker for a pretty face.

Height: 6 foot 3 inches

Weight: 189.4 pounds

Blood Type: O (though rumors say he has pure evil running through his veins)

Year: 3rd

Weapon: Cursed katana called "Eternal Agony"

Inital Persona: Dodomeki

Appearance: images . wikia dynastywarriors/images/6/62/WOZ-Dodomeki . png [remove spaces]

Strengths: Darkness, Strike

Weakness: Light

Ultimate Persona: Chaos Dragon

Appearance: Japanese style dragon that carries two spheres (one called "Ruin", the other called "Destruction"), and two katanas (one called "Demon Slayer" the other called "Gold Wyvern"). Grey scales and yellow eyes

Strengths: Darkness, Strike, Fire

Weaknesses: Light, Ice

* * *

Name: Sakura Akagi

Age: 26

Gender: Female

Birthday: May 23

Zodiac: Gemini

Height: 5'7"

Weight: 145 lbs

Blood Type: A

Year: English Teacher (All Grades)

Weapon: Whip

Arcana: Fortune

Initial Persona: Fortuna

Ultimate Persona: Chronos, Ruler of Time

Inherit: Wind/Buffs

Strength: Wind, Ice

Weak: Fire

Looks: She has long blonde hair that goes halfway down her back. She wears a white blouse and navy skirt that goes past her knees at school, but on days off she wears jeans with a green t-shirt. If it's cold, she wears a dark red jacket

Personality: Sakura is a rather laid-back teacher. She is very kind to her students, and will offer to help anyone struggling in her class. She is generally an easy marker, and most of her students look forward to her class.

Background: She found out about her potential in teacher's collage, and when the principal found out, she was hired on the spot.

* * *

| Basic |

Name: Amaya Segimori

Gender: Female

Age: 17

Birthday: July 30th

Zodiac: Leo

Height: 165 cm

Weight: 120 lbs

Blood Type: A-

Year: 3rd

Weapon: Rapier

Arcana/Social Link: Empress

| Persona |

Intial: Penthesilea

Ultimate: Artemisia

Inherit: Ice

Strength(s): Ice

Weak: Fire

| Appearance |

Long dark blue hair usually tied back into a high bun or two low front pigtails, with long bangs that go across her forehead. Big dark grey eyes, curvy, mature, glasses.

Uniform: But the black lines on the skirt are white, and the plaid is black and white instead of grey. Anyway, Amaya is very pro xD, so she's very neat and tidy, meaning her tie is straight and her shirt is tucked in She wears white high heels, black socks go to her thighs.

| Personality |

Good Traits: Responsible, intelligent, she's like the main character's dictionary xD She's also more the healer than fighter. She's rough on everyone, especially younger kids, but only because she doesn't want to see anyone hurt.

Bad Traits: Unlike Misturu, she's more of a bitch. A loner, serious, mature, no friends and very dry and straight forward with people.

Background: When she was young, her father and she had gone to the park, and someone tried to 'jump' them, but then her persona came out, and went berserk. The thief had been hurt, but managed to get away, but her father was bleeding to death and she was the only one with him. She called for help with his phone and tried to stop the bleeding as best she could. They got him to a hospital, but he was in a very critical state for months. Eventually he got better and survived, but she had changed a lot during his recovery, blaming herself for the incident in the first place, and became cold and distant.

Afterwards, she noticed that she liked healing and was good at it, and became an aspiring doctor (hence, her healing powers are so great).

Oh and of couse, I cant live without romance; Everyday after school, she gets picked up by a 29 year old doctor who's a family friend and that works at the nearest hospital, where they both work. Rumor says they're together, because they basically look perfect together, but they aren't. They're both very serious and take their job seriously, but... she's got her own demons inside, and he's caring and attentive to her...

How you heard of the school/Why you enrolled: She decided to learn how to control her power, rather that ignore it, and running the risk of it causing another incident like that, although, she's already had a bit of training with it, because she's practiced summoning it by herself.

* * *

| Basic |

Name: Yuki Jade Amaya Tomoko  
Gender: Female  
Age: 15  
Birthday: January 29th  
Zodiac: Aquarius  
Height: '4,7"  
Weight: 99 lbs  
Blood Type: A  
Year: 1st  
Weapon: Gun  
Arcana/Social Link: Priestess

| Persona |

Intial: Artemis, Goddess of the Moon  
Ultimate: Athena, Goddess of Wisdom  
Strength(s): Light, Bufu, Garu  
Weak: Agi

| Appearance |  
Dark brown hair that's curly and usually very messy, past her shoulders, always has a dark Green Messenger Bag with her that most people wonder what's inside, Wears a Blue and purple Baseball cap outside school, Black Watch worn inverted on her left wrist (Instead of wearing it Normally, The face is facing the same way as the palm of her hand), Purple Crocheted Chain Bracelet on her right wrist (She made it herself), Sometimes Half-ties/Ponytail her hair( Rarely), She's usually mistaken for a 10 year old, Has a Size B chest(er...cup size...), usually has a pair of Black Earphones in her ears( Wire comes from her bag, rarely takes out mp3 player), wears a pair of Blue Glasses during class (And takes it off when there's no teacher. She rarely wears it outside.)

| Personality |  
Good Traits: Friendly, Creative, Sometimes Wise, Kind, Usually Cheerful, Likes not being a leader, Bookworm  
Bad Traits: (Usually when she's sure of what she wants), Quiet, Puts off making Decisions alot, Childish, Alot of times she's actually Sad inside despite her Cheerful 'Face', She can be two-faced at times  
Background: She's a very Shy Girl who makes Friends easily, and warms up to you only when she's sure you're friends. She usually has friends in the younger and Lower years, not in her own year. She moved to Fukushima because of he fact that her old school closed. Not alot of people know what her past is, and most of the time people can't find her unless they really know her. She hates math. She's very smart in things that are not usually included in school (Computer Keyboard Shortcuts and such). she's very Childish and when told to mature she says "This is the way I am". When asked why so Kind she just says that's how she really is. She won't tell you her secrets until you spend time with her alot. Most of the time she's buried in a book she's reading, writing a story, drawing and making something(Crochet,Sewing and such). She's a Fan of Anime and Manga. She has sudden mood switches wherein she's really cheerful to really serious.  
How you heard of the school/Why you enrolled: Had come across the school by accident while surfing the internet. Enrolled because her old school closed down.

* * *

Name: Hikari Vale  
Gender: Female  
Age: 16  
Birthday: January 15  
Zodiac: Capricorn  
Height: '5,3"  
Weight: 112 lbs  
Blood Type: AB  
Year: 1st  
Weapon: Boomerang (bladed edge)  
Arcana/Social Link: Hierophant  
Persona:

Initial: Anzu  
Ultimate: Kohryu, the Golden Dragon  
Inherit: Wind  
Strengths: Wind, Elec  
Weakness: Fire

Appearance: Hikari has red hair that she wears in a single braid. She wears the uniform with an unbuttoned green jacket over her uniform in winter. In summer, she wears a ballcap. She always wears glasses  
Personality: Very quiet and schoalry. She always has a book in hand and loves to read. She's a bit socially akward, but tries to make friends  
Background: She is only half-japanese, with her father being an Englishman who her mother married. Both parents are aware of Persona after seeing Hikari and her twin brother using it. They did extensive research, and figured their kids couldn't do any harm at this school

* * *

Name: Touji Vale  
Gender: Male  
Age: 16  
Birthday: January 15  
Zodiac: Capricorn  
Height: '5,7"  
Weight: 137 lbs  
Blood Type: AB  
Year: 1st  
Weapon: Scimitar  
Arcana/Social Link: Devil

Persona:  
Initial: Lilim  
Ultimate: Belial  
Inherit: Dark  
Strengths: Dark, Fire  
Weak: Light

Appearance: Touji has dark blonde hair that he keeps short. He makes an effort to look good. On days off, he wears khakis and a jean jacket, with a black T-shirt in winter, and loses the jacket in summer.  
Personality: He's a lot more laid back than his sister, and also much more eager then fighting.  
Background: He is only half-japanese, with her father being an Englishman who her mother married. Both parents are aware of Persona after seeing Hikari and her twin brother using it. They did extensive research, and figured their kids couldn't do any harm at this school.


	3. Character List

Here are the main characters:

- (1)Hei Nakamura - The protagonist of our story. He's calm, polite, and somewhat oblivious to how the opposite sex works, but is shown to be highly concerned about his friends. He represents the **Fool/World Arcana**.

- Naoki Erizawa - The protagonist's best friend. She's a quirky student, who doesn't seem to take school all that seriously, and is the captain of the school's Archery Club. She represents the **Justice Arcana**.

- Narashino Oda - Aspiring to become the prime minister of Japan, he's a analytical student with an X-shaped scar on the side of his face, and a _"You're either with me, or against me"_ mind set. He represents the **Moon Arcana**.

- Daichi Takahashi - The protagonist's homeroom teacher, and the advisor of the Health Committee. He is often mistaken as a student because of his carefree attitude, and young face. He represents the **Magician Arcana**.

- Misako Nakamura - The senior valedictorian, and the protagonist's older sister. Compared to her underclassmen, she's more awkward and clumsy around people her age, and spends most of her time in the school library. She represents the **Star Arcana**.

- Yuki Tomoko - A transfer student who looks out for her other classmates, and is never without her MP3 player. She can go from cheerful to serious in seconds, and loves anything relating to art. She represents the **Priestess Arcana**.

- Touji Vale - An outgoing student that thinks doing your best is the only way to get things done. He is the twin brother to Hikari Vale, and her complete opposite. He represents the **Devil Arcana**.

- Hikari Vale - A quiet girl that wears thick-rimmed glasses. She is the twin sister to Touji Vale, and his complete opposite. She represents the **Hierophant Arcana**.

- Sakura Akagi - The protagonist's literature teacher, and advisor for Band Club. She's rather laid back, and will do anything to make sure her students succeed. She represents the **Fortune Arcana**.

- Amaya Segimori - More of a healer than a fighter, she takes her job very seriously. She's tough on everyone, but it's only because she doesn't want to see anyone get hurt. She represents the **Empress Arcana**.

Minor characters/Social links:

- The Student Protection Team - A group of students dedicated to discovering the secret about their school, and solving the recent disappearance cases. Represents the **Fool Arcana**.

- The Resistance - The Student Protection Team gathers all their strength to defeat their school principal, and put an end to her tyranny. Represents the **Judgement Arcana**.

- Amari Akazuki - A frail, androgynous student. The protagonist helps him overcome his insecurities, and self-image. Represents the **Temperance Arcana**.

- Takeshi Mikazuki - A socially awkward loner. The protagonist helps him open up to, and interact better with others. Represents the **Death Arcana**.

- (2)Hibari Shutaru - An ambitious detective-to-be, and Student Council President. The protagonist helps him loosen up, and show compassion for others. Represents the **Hermit** **Arcana**.

- Sato Fumizuki - A rebellious student, but a softie at heart. The protagonist helps him let go of the past, and cope with the death of his parents. Represents the **Emperor Arcana**.

- Natsu Akaike - A student of considerable talent, and calm nerves. The protagonist helps her accept her flaws, without feeling inferior. Represents the **Strength Arcana**.

- Shizukana Fuyu - A silent, somewhat distant student. The protagonist helps him express his feelings, and socialize with other students. Represents the** Hanged Man Arcana**.

- Mai Sakamoto - A kind student with a soft heart, and sharp tongue. The protagonist helps her deal with the pain of losing her childhood friend. Represents the **Lovers Arcana**.

- (3)Kei Yuita - A schizophrenic student that shifts through moods. The protagonist helps him reveal his true self to others. Represents the **Tower Arcana**.

- Anna Kagayaki - A timid girl that relies heavily on Narashino's strength. The protagonist helps her find her voice, and be less afraid. Represents the **Sun Arcana**.

- Daisetsu Idane - A passionate sports fan and captain of the school's Soccer Club. The protagonist helps him control his short-temper. Represents the **Chariot Arcana**.

- Akahana Kurasaki - The school principal.

- Eiji Sakamoto - The coach for the school's Basketball Club.

- Reina Sakamoto - The protagonist's history teacher, and the advisor for Drama Club.

- Igor - The long-nosed man who presides over the Velvet Room, and aids the protagonist in Persona fusion.

- Carin - Igor's female assistant. Her role is primarily the same as her predecessors.

* * *

I personally apologize to those of you who weren't D: (DeathOverLord, Diana, Revolutionary of Hades, KO... Am I missing anyone?)I hope you understand, and still support this fanfic, irregardless~!

Now, for those of you who were, please pick one of these clubs you'd like to be apart of. (Looking for 3 - 4 members for each) :3 If anyone wants one that is not listed, PM me and I'll add it~! I also need a possible love interest for your character.

Student Council - Hibari, Mai, Misako, Hikari

Archery Club - Naoki, Hei, Yuki

Health Committee - Daichi, Mai, Amaya

Soccer Club - Daisetsu, Natsu, Sato

Basketball Club - Eiji, Hei

Drama Club - Reina, Yuki

Band Club - Sakura, Anna

Kendo Club - Touji, Natsu, Narashino, Takeshi

* * *

And I think that might be it. I'll be posting the official first chapter very soon, so stay tuned! :3 Thank you all again! I could've of done it without you~

1 = Changed his last name to "Nakamura," because it bothered me that his last name was the same as the protagonist's of Persona 4. I hope you don't mind so much~ D8 I also made him related to one of my other characters so he can come in with more… not social links, but… connections?

2 = Changed the Arcana from "Fortune" to "Hermit," I felt it fit his personality better, plus I already had someone who auditioned for Fortune, so I had to decide ;w;

3 = Changed the Arcana from "Judgement" to "Tower," Judgement (going by other games in the series) is usually sociated with the protagonist, and his party at the end of the game D8 Hope that's alright; I would've PMed you, but I couldn't~ ^^'

I also changed the genre from "Drama" to "Humor," because so far, it isn't that serious xD


	4. CH1: Welcome to Fukushima!

**~ Persona Academy - Chapter 1 ~**

_I do not own the series Persona, nor am I making a profit of this. This is merely fanbased._

* * *

"Wow, this school sure is big!"

A boy with red hair, and matching eyes nodded, and smiled knowingly at a shorter girl with brown pigtails. Fukushima, this would be their school for the next year, a school exclusively for persona users, teenagers with the _potential._ The brunette tugged on the taller boy's arm, and they began their walk again. They took the moment to briefly look over the informational packet they received over the summer.

Two dorms, one—located in the far west—for girls, and the other—located to the east—was for boys. Breakfast and lunch were provided, but students were expected to make their own dinners. (Supposedly, there was a local market down the street from the school that sells pre-packaged bento boxes you just heat up, and eat. There was also a Chinese diner two blocks down, for those students who are less than adequate when it comes to cooking. Some students even go off campus to have dinner with their family.) Each student has one or two roommates also living with them, and apparently there was a 12 o' clock curfew.

"Awww, man~! The dorms aren't co-ed!" The girl huffed with a light pout, while the boy stared her down in sincere confusion.

"Why are you upset about that?"

She tugged on his arm again, and replied in that sing-songy tone of hers, "Oh, no reason~ I just can't imagine how lost you'd be without me!"

The boy's name was Hei Nakamura, aged 17, and although he had been friends with Naoki Erizawa since secondary school, he still couldn't quite figure out what went on through her head. Girls would always be a mystery to him; sometimes it seemed like even their mood swings had mood swings, and nothing you could say would calm them down. He sighed under his breath as she continued to drag him all the way to the cafeteria (going on about something, maybe nothing, maybe she was just talking because she liked the sound of her voice, it wasn't like he listened). Truth be told, he _liked_ it. He never considered himself the leading type; he was calm, submissive, which was the complete opposite to Naoki's optimistic and bubbly personality. Maybe that was how they remained friends for so long.

"Let's go get some breakfast, then get our schedules, okay?" There it was again, that flirty smile that seemed to be permanently glued to her face. He'd never tell her how much he loved it; she'd only tease him about it anyway. They made their way to the cafeteria, whilst he blushed the entire way (which thankfully went unnoticed).

* * *

After getting something to eat, and picking up their schedules (they just so happened to have homeroom together), they went their separate ways. Naoki decided to go check out her dorm room, and drop her stuff off. Today was just for introductions anyway, normal classes wouldn't start until tomorrow.

The hallway to her room was eerily quiet, and save for her, there was no one in it. That's strange... The school was fairly large, so she had expected more students roaming the halls. Naoki hadn't dwelled on that thought long (she never did, she liked living in the moment), as she approached her room, the very last one on her right.

_'Alright, I can do this...'_ After giving herself a mental pep talk to calm her nerves, she re-adjusted her bag on her shoulder, and opened the door to her room.

Not surprisingly, the room was more than big enough to support two people. A fresh coat of yellow paint was on the walls; there was a single window in the corner with white curtains, opened ajar to let in some sunlight. Bunkbeds took up the other corner of the room—she noticed there were already a few things piled up on the top bunk—and a small TV on the opposite wall. Sitting on the bottom bunk was a girl who looked no older than 10, what with her petite frame, and height (she was barely 5 feet). A head of curly, brown hair could be seen sticking out haphazardly from underneath a baseball hat.

"Ah, h-hello!" The young girl took out her headphones, and offered Naoki a warm smile. "You must be my roommate! I'm Yuki Jade Amaya Tomoko—I know, long name~ you can just call me Yuki." She swung her legs off the bed, and shook the other girl's hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Yuki-chan! My name is Naoki Erizawa."

"Okay! So, um…. I'll call you Naoki-san?"

"If you want!"

"…."

"…."

For awhile all is quiet—it isn't a necessarily awkward silence, but there is some tension there, like both girls are trying to reach each other, but it seems impossible. Naoki—feeling probably just as uncomfortable as the other girl—decides to break it, by nonchalantly pointing at the book on the nightstand, _"How To Crack Security Codes."_

"So… You're a hacker?" She manages to squeak out, and for a moment, she doesn't even recognize her own voice. Yuki jumps at the sudden noise, and smiles sheepishly.

"Eh, more or less~! I'm not trying to brag or anything, but I'm pretty tech savvy. In fact, that's how I found out about this school." She twirled a loose piece of hair that had fallen out of place. "I'm originally from the Philippines, and had been going to a normal school," Naoki noticed that her voice had gotten quieter. Was this a sensitive topic for her? "But then it mysteriously closed down. Luckily, I found this place on the internet."

"That is lucky!" Naoki laughed, trying to lighten the mood. This caused a small smile to spread on Yuki's face. "Hey, could you help me unpack my things?"

"W-what? …I mean… Sure."

The conversation had ended there, as both girls unpacked Naoki's things in complete silence. The benefit of this school—or negative, depending on which way you saw it—was that wearing a uniform was mandatory. Meaning that she hadn't packed much; a few snacks for later—baked with love from her mom—hair brush, toothbrush, and other necessities of that nature.

They had reached the bottom of the suitcase when Yuki had come across a crumbled up picture of a boy with red hair, and eyes, standing next to a older girl with similar features (his sister maybe?). Her initial shyness seemed to of melted away, as she picked it up, and waved it in the air.

"And who's this? _Boyfriend_?" She drawled out the word boyfriend like it was a foreign word. Naoki blushed, and quickly snatched it back.

"N-No way! He's only my best friend! I met him back in 6th grade." The brunette smiled, as she thought back on some of the times they had shared together. There was one in particular that she couldn't quite shake from her mind.

* * *

_"Hei-kun, higher!" A younger Naoki laughed, and smiled. Her light brown hair was much shorter, barely reaching her tiny shoulders, and wisped around her like a tornado. She appeared to be about 11, and her dark brown eyes were shining brightly under the warm glow of the summer sun. Hei smiled back at her, and proceeded to push her higher. Seeing her so happy, made him happy too, and he found himself laughing alongside her._

_"Try jumping off!" He innocently challenged her, and her eyes grew wide in fear._

_"B-but, I can't!"_

_"C'mon, of course you can!" She didn't know why, but she always wanted to impress him. Maybe it was because he was older, or was one of her only friends. When she recieved an A on some school work, or painted a new picture, he'd be the first one to see it. She'd always come running up to him with that beautiful smile of hers, and he'd tell her how amazing it was, and ruffle her hair. It didn't matter if he meant it or not, because it felt nice to hear praise, any praise._

_The brunette sighed, and after readying herself, jumped off the swing. She didn't quite angle herself right, because she came crashing down, face first into the sand._

_"Naoki!" He moved quickly before she even had time to react, and scooped her up in his arms. "A-are you okay?"_

_"My knee hurts..." She admitted with a frown. He looked down, and saw that a bruise began to form on her knee; it was round, and a deep purple color. With another smile, he leaned down, and kissed it, causing her to blush, and giggle again._

_"Better?"_

_"M'hm!"_

* * *

She was quickly snapped out of it when she noticed another teasing grin from Yuki. Apparently, she was still blushing.

"Yeah, sure~"

"I'm serious!"

"Uh-huhhh…"

"Stop that!"

"Stop _what_?"

"Grrr, you're infuriating!" Naoki collapsed back on the bed, with a loud sigh. Yuki giggled, told her reassuringly that she was only kidding, and sat down next to her. The two conversed for awhile until the bell for class rang. Since they were both sophomores, they had homeroom together.

* * *

"Is that the teacher?" Hei could hear the other students talk—rather loudly—amongst themselves.

"No way, he's too young!"

"He's gotta be, like, 20 or something."

"Heh, he's pretty cute~"

"Oh, like you have a chance with him!"

"I can dream, can't I?"

"Alright kids, settle down." The kids immediately quieted down, and straightened themselves out in their seats. At this, he laughed lightly, and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm no good at this kinda stuff, so I'll make this quick~ my name is Daichi Takahashi, and I'll be your teacher for Fight Simulations—"

Someone rose their hand.

"Ah, a question already? What is it?"

"Fight Simulations?" A girl with red hair and smoky colored eyes—hidden behind a pair of glasses—asked.

Daichi nodded in confirmation. "Yes, in this class we'll be…" He stopped himself short, and suddenly, a grin breaks out on his face. "Actually, can I have some volunteers?"

No one raises their hand. "Come on! I promise you won't get hurt!"

With some reluctance, Naoki's hand shoots up. "I-I volunteer myself, and Hei-kun!"

Well that was enough for him to snap into attention. "Wait, wha—"

"M-me too! But, uh, I'm volunteering myself…" Yuki nodded and smiled.

Just what were they getting themselves into?

"Great! Follow me, as for the rest of you, please remain seated."

The 3 students followed the teacher into the back of the room. All eyes were on them now, studying them, burning holes into their clothes, and Naoki steps a little closer to Hei as they're walking. There are two doors; one in particular attracted Hei's attention. It was long and dark blue, with a brass door knob, its lacquer coating wearing away from age. It also seemed to emanate a faint blue glow. When he asked about this mysterious door, he was answered with weird glances, and confusion.

"Huh? Whattya talking about?"

"What door?"

"Nevermind…" Was he the only one who could see it?

Daichi shrugged, and unlocked the other door, and the students walked in behind him. It doesn't take long for the light to flood inside, and reveal the contents of the room…

"It's _empty_?" Naoki asked out loud, scratching the top of her head. She didn't get it, it looked like any ol' storage room, albeit bigger, and he made it out like it was some big mystery!

Daichi chuckled, and stuffed the key into his pocket. When he pulled his hand back out, he held out his palm, and opened it in front of them; 3 pairs of glasses were in his hand. They looked like the kind construction workers used when welding, and were a transparent red color.

"Put these on, and I'll explain everything."

* * *

**A/N - And so here it is! I gotta say, I had a little writer's block writing this, but I'm glad it's up now :3 I did my best, so hopefully you all like it. And I hope to god I didn't butcher up your characters' personalities too much o.e and if I did, feel free to tell me! I'll go back and edit it.**

**And a special thank you to SaberTheFallenAngel for all the help you've given me! This chapter's for you buddy! 8D (I'mnotpickingfavoritesshuddup... *shot*) Also, thank you SuperNova23 for being my beta reader!**

**Thanks for reading, and please review!**


	5. CH2: The Awakening

**~ Persona Academy - Chapter 2 ~**

_I don't own the Persona series. All copyrights belong to the original owners._

* * *

**A/N: Alrighty guys, huge author's note for this chapter. I have a few things I need you to vote for, and for the main characters, I need a list of your skills.**

**1. Referring to the list in the "first" chapter, please vote for one or two antagonists you like the most. The two that receive the most will be added to the story.**

**2. Someone mentioned that it'd be beneficial if I added cameo appearances of characters from previous Persona games. Who do you think I should add to this story, and please provide a reason why. (Just throwing this out there, I've only played P3P, P4, and I _briefly_ played P2: Innocent Sin. Keep this in mind when giving me names.)**

**3. Here's an example of what I mean by skills. Each persona should have 8. (Well, there are 8 available slots; I think main party personas learn about 19+. Oh, and if I see a repetition of elements, just to make the party balanced, I may ask you to change it, or just add another element to your repertoire D8) **

Naoki (Light, Bad Status):

Virtue – Hama, Patra, Sukukaja, Provoke, Mahama, Survive Dark, Rage Boost

Eos – Hamaon, Masukukaja, Infuriate, Mahamaon, Diarahan, Hama Boost, Endure Dark

Daichi (Electricity, Physical):

Haya-Ji – Bash, Zio, Rakunda, Re Patra, Mazio, Assault Dive, Zionga, Marakunda

Susanoo – Mazionga, Heat Wave, Elec Break, Ziodyne, Gigantic Fist, Weary Thrust, Maziodyne, God's Hand

Misako (Support):

Iris – Full Analysis, Support Scan, Third Eye, Healing Wave

Theia – Escape Route, Relaxing Wave, Soothe (Cures status ailments), Weakness Scan

Sakura (Wind, Buffs):

Fortuna **–** Garu, Bufu, Tarukaja, Rakukaja, Magaru, Sukukaja, Dodge Fire, Garula

Kronos **–** Bufula, Garudyne, Wind Amp, Wind Break, Matarukaja, Marakukaja, Masukukaja, Magarudyne

Touji (Fire, Dark, Debuffs):

Lilim **–** Mudo, Cleave, Rakunda, Gale Slash, Tarunda, Mamudo, Agilao, Torrent Shot

Belial **–** Agidyne, Mudoon, Marukunda, Survive Light, Matarunda, Masukunda, Brave Blade, Die for Me!

Hikari (Recovery, Electricity):

Anzu **–** Dia, Zio, Me Patra, Media, Recarm, Elec Break, Diarama, Zionga

Kohryu **–** Mediarama, Ziodyne, Diarahan, Mind Charge, Samarecarm, Maziodyne, Medirahan, Spell Master

Amaya (Recovery, Ice):

Penthesilea – Dia, Patra, Rakukaja, Re Patra, Posumudi, Me Patra, Bufula, Spirit Drain, Diarama,

Artemisia – Bufudyne, Mabufula, Ice Break, Diarahan, Mediarahan, Recarm, Samarecarm, Recarmdra

Hei (Fire, Almighty):

Loki - Agi, Sonic Punch, Maragi, Fiery Fury, Tarukaja, Rakunda, Agilao, Maragion, Megido

Apollo - Agidyne, Maragidyne, Gigantic Fist, Akasha Arts, Megidola, Megidoloan, Heat Riser, Debilitate, Nova Keiser, Ragnarok

Yuki (Recovery, Wind, Ice):

Artemis - Garu, Bufu, Dia, Holy Arrow, Magaru, Mabufu, Media, Diarama

Athena - Garula, Bufula, Arrow Rain, Mediarama, Magarula, Mabufula, Primal Force, Diarahan

Narashino (Fire, Bad Status):

Dodomeki - Agi, Double Fangs, Life Drain, Maragi, Evil Touch, Hassou Tobi, Cruel Attack, Evil Smile

Chaos Dragon - Agilao, Rain of Destruction, Hassou Tobi, Ghastly Wail, Vorpal Blade, Virus Wave, Hell's Judgement, Salvation

**Sorry about that~ Now, without further ado, I proudly present you chapter 2 of Persona Academy :3**

* * *

"Glasses?" Naoki's lips twisted into a mirth smile. "Do you have these in a different color?"

"...Ah, no. J-just… put them on."

The students slowly put the glasses on; they felt the atmosphere shift around them, colors blended together, morphed, stretched, until it looked like they were in a different world. Instead of tile, a paved road was now under their feet. Clouds, which almost looked computer-generated, painted the artificial skies above them.

_This_ was a virtual reality.

A clairvoyant voice called out to them; it sounded metallic, cold, _inhuman_. But the voice was somewhat calming as well—almost like a best friend—despite the fact they didn't know where it was coming from.

"Welcome to the battle simulator. Please select the number of players." Confused glances were exchanged, and eyes caught. Naoki smiled, and Hei decided to speak up for the bewildered group.

"Three."

"Name of players?"

"Hei Nakamura."

"Naoki Erizawa!"

"Um, Yuki Tomoko…?" She looked over at her other two classmates, who gave her a disheartened shrug in reply. They were just as confused as she was. The voice took a long pause before answering, as if it were a computer trying to process data. Finally, it repeated the names they had provided, and asked to confirm if it was correct.

"Very well. Please choose your preferred weapon." It asked after verification. Any weapon could be chosen, from the common sword, to the outrageous like a blow torch; the possibilities were endless. The only question that had dawned on Hei's mind was who they'd be fighting, but he didn't have the courage to ask. The voice struck him as a magic-8 ball; it picked and chose when and what it answered. Questioning it would be pointless.

Suddenly, a beam of light encased itself around Hei. The voice repeated the question, and he replied in a calm voice, "A spear." The selected weapon materialized into his hand, and he turned, and studied it in the light. He couldn't believe it; it felt like the real thing! He even started bleeding when he pricked his finger with the tip experimentally.

"Oh, uh be careful there! You can get hurt here, you know." Yuki shot a glare at Daichi.

"You said we wouldn't get hurt!"

"Well, if I had said that, would you have volunteered?"

The light traveled again, and was now trained on Naoki. The same question was posed on her, and she answered excitedly, "A longbow! I want a longbow!"

After a bow and quiver manifested on her person, the light selected Yuki, the finally combatant. She chose something a little less conventional as her weapon of choice, "Give me a handgun."

"Yeah~! You go, Yuki-chan!" Said girl flushed, and twiddled her fingers shyly.

The targeting light had disappeared, and the voice made it's presence known once again. "Confirming details: Party size – 3. Combatants – Hei, Naoki, Yuki. Level 1, Floor 1."

"What's it mean by—Whoa, whoa, whoa, what is _that_?" Naoki shouted in panic. A purple creature with long arms began to claw the ground, and crawl over to the party. Instead of having a normal face, it had a cracked drama mask, painted on the forehead was the Roman numeral for one; droplets of fresh blood was speckled all over it, and it produced a foul stench that made them cringe. It was a truly horrific sight.

"That is what we at Fukushima High call, _Shadows_. They're disgusting creatures, aren't they?"

"W-where did it come from?"

"It was the output when Akahana, the principal, created the program. They're a virus, and have been multiplying ever since."

"How do we—"

Yuki waved her arms frantically. "U-um, you guys! It's coming this way! ...Eek!"

The shadow roared, and charged forward, moving at a speed faster than they could comprehend. What happened next seemed to of happened in a blur. It had struck Yuki, sending her flying into Daichi, and rendering her comatose. Naoki screamed, but it was muffled by the shadow's growling, the smell of… blood. Pools of blood were under her feet, and she felt she was drowning, faster, and faster. Suffocating, constricting, stealing her breath. The creature stared at her, and she felt her blood run cold. She was it's next target.

"Naoki! Get outta the way!"

She stood, petrified, longbow laying forgotten beside her, brown eyes widened in fear. Hei was in a panic; what could he do?

_To summon a persona, you must focus your spirit energy,_

"Naoki!" Tears began to blur his vision. The shadow raised it's arm in preparation.

_Close your eyes, and_

"NAOKI!"

_Release._

.

.

.

.

.

.

A wave of emotions exploded out of Hei all at once, and a voice he didn't recognize was ripped from his throat.

_"I am thou… And thou art I…"_ A soft blue light began to glow from his pocket, and the corner of a card was sticking out of it. When did that get in there? Curiously, he pulled it out. On the card was a silhouette of a man with a bandana and a walking stick in both his hands. A small dog was on his heels. This was the Fool Arcana.

He knew what he had to do.

"Persona!" Hei threw the card up in the air, and a blue light emerged from it. There was a sound that sounded like glass shattering, and a man with blonde hair, and black, demonic wings floated in front of him.

Daichi looked sincerely surprised. "This is…"

"Loki, now!" With one swipe of his sword, the shadow had vanished, as well as the persona. Hei ran over to Naoki, and began to violently shake her shoulders. "Naoki! Naoki! Speak to me!"

"H-Hei-kun? What did you just do?" She spoke quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I-I don't know…" He stared at the card in his hand. It was like something had possessed him, and made him act, and think against his will. "I called it _Persona_… Didn't I?" He didn't know what to think, his head hurt, and he suddenly felt sick to his stomach, bile clawing at his throat. Fatigue suddenly washed over the redhead, and he groaned, slouching forward before falling into Naoki's arms.

"H-hey!" She frowned, and stared down at his face. He was unconscious. "Daichi-sensei!"

"Take off the glasses! Now!" She removed her glasses, and once she did, the room returned to normal. She sighed in relief, and slid down to the floor.

"W-what the hell just happened?" She looked at her teacher for some answers, but was cut off when the school bell rang.

"I'm sorry, but I-I need to go... Report this to the principal." Daichi hurriedly put on his jacket, and opened the door. "Take Hei, and Yuki to the school nurse. We can talk during lunch."

He slammed the door closed, and the room grew dark once again.

* * *

Hei was awake, at least _partially_. He could hear voices, two talking back and forth to each other about his condition, one in particular sounded familiar. His head was still clouded, and so he could only make out bits, and pieces of their conversation.

"—be okay?"

"He seemed to have—"

"What do you—"

"—let him stay—"

"—oh, thank god!"

He opened his eyes, and was greeted by a sudden bright light before his eyes got adjusted. A girl with dark blue hair, and black framed glasses stood over him, the school nurse he'd guess.

"It's good to see you're finally awake. My name is Amaya Segimori, and I'm the one who tended to your wounds." At closer inspection, he could see that she was a student, maybe a year or two older than he was. Her shirt was prim, and tidy, tucked neatly into her skirt, and she was wearing white high heels, which added about 2 more inches to her height. Yuki was standing beside her, hat gone, curly hair tied back in a high pony tail. Except for the bandage on her right cheek, she looked relatively the same.

"Wounds?" Did he get hurt? He didn't remember. His memory was a little hazy. The only thing he remembered was saving Naoki, and then… _Nothing_.

"Yes, well… There were a few _accidents, _that occurred while bringing you here. Don't ask."

* * *

_"You gotta lift with your legs!" Clunk! Naoki banged Hei's head against the doorframe. "Ummm... Think he'll notice that?"_

_"I'd believe so." Amaya stared at the younger girl for awhile, until Naoki noticed, and met her gaze._

_"What's up?"_

_The bluenette lowered her head. "It's... Nothing. Please excuse my staring. Are you ready to move again?"_

_Naoki nodded, and smiled, her pigtails bobbing up and down whilst doing so. It was hard to believe just 30 minutes ago she was terrified, face-to-face with a grotesque creature too ugly to even imagine. Just goes to show how fast she forgot things, or put them off. It proved to be easier than bottling them up. "Yupperz~! Ugh, why'd they build the nurse's office on the top floor anyway?"_

_Clunk! She banged his head again, and whistled to herself. "...I didn't do it!"_

* * *

Well, that would explain the splitting headache he had. He'd have to ask Naoki about it later.

"Where's Naoki?" Amaya pushed back her glasses.

"Class, I told her I had everything under control." She nudged him back down firmly when he tried to get up. "Please don't move around so much, you'll re-open the wounds." With a defeated sigh, he laid back down. Yuki sat down on the edge of his cot.

"Naoki-san was telling me what happened. It sounds amazing!" She gave him a small smile, which he slowly returned. The card in his pocket burned.

"Segimori-senpai, could I ask you a few questions?"

She sighed. "If you must."

"Just what is _Persona_ anyway?"

The senior raised her eyebrows at this, then nodded knowingly. "You do know what Persona means, yes? It's our inner psyche. As Persona users, we're able to call upon this power to serve us. It is usually awakened when the user is under great distress, or despair." He nodded, and waited for her to continue. When she did not, realization hit Hei.

"What about Shadows?" Daichi mentioned that they were there when the battle simulator was created... But he wasn't sure if he believed that.

Amaya frowned; obviously this was a topic she was uncomfortable with. "I'm… Sorry, but I can't disclose any more information to you. If you're really curious, you should try the school library."

Yuki furrowed her eyebrows. "B-but wait, why can't—"

"Please… They're watching us."

"Who is?" Amaya shook her head, and quickly walked out of the room, muttering some things under her breath.

"What was that about?" The brunette brushed him off, for once, not knowing what to say. After a few awkward minutes, they decided to go back to class.

* * *

"P-please, l-leave me alone!" A girl with ghostly pale skin, and jet black hair cried, pressing herself as close to the wall as she could. Two older boys snickered in front of her, and exchanged looks.

"Ya hear that, Aki, she's _begging_ us. Now ain't that sweet?"

"Sure is, Tarō! Heh, think she tastes as good as she sounds?" He licked his lips, and the mousy girl shuddered, and resisted the urge to throw up over them. She was _terrified_, and when she tried to scream for help, no sound came out, only a pathetic whine of sorts. The first boy cackled loudly. That was, until his face made contact with the cement.

A gruff looking boy with crew cut black hair, and a leather jacket grabbed Tarō by the collar, and glared at him. If his towering height was intimidating enough, his stare could kill. "Have you made peace with the deity of choice yet?"

The older boy raised his arms to shield his face. "P-please sir, mercy!"

"O-Oda-san, put him down now!" The meek girl demanded, and for a microsecond, the intimidating teen's eyes softened considerably.

"…Tch, not even worth my time." The teen known as 'Oda-san' set the boy down, and he ran away screaming with his friend. Hei walked onto the scene, frowning disapprovingly. Cue the heroic lecture.

"You shouldn't treat people like that, evenly lowly thugs like those guys." There was a softness that was reflected in his red eyes.

"Is that so?" Oda suddenly laughed hysterically, and slapped Hei on his back… _Hard._ "You have some nerve, kid! That's good." And with that, him and the girl walked off, as if the entire thing never happened.

Hei stared off after them, and blinked his eyes in amazement. Things were just getting weirder, and weirder.

Oh, well. He mentally went through his to-do list. Hei wanted to go see how Naoki was before the next class started, and there was what him and Amaya were talking about... He decided to go check out the library first.

* * *

**3 OC's introduced in one chapter! Hells yeah ;D Thank you guys so much for supporting this fic, and I'm sorry if this chapter isn't all that great, and short (it's longer than the first one, at least). Have you ever had a picture in your head, but you couldn't quite describe it? That's the problem I had in this one. *sighs***

**Anyway, thank you for reading, and for 50+ reviews~! Seriously, you guys are amazing! *heart* Stay tuned for more!**

**Beta read by: SaberTheFallenAngel and SuperNova23. Thanks you two!**

**Demons Anarchy of Pride: 'Ey! I need a love interest~ Might I suggest Naoki? ;D *stabbed***


	6. CH3: The Velvet Room

**~ Persona Academy - Chapter 3 ~**

_I don't own the Persona series. All copyrights belong to the original owners._

* * *

**A/N: Ah, can you believe it? Chapter 3… (6?) already! I wanna thank everyone who's supported me this far :3 *sniffle* I LOVE YOU GUYS, GROUP HUG!**

***crickets***

…**Ahem, well anywho, I proudly present the next chapter of Persona Academy! Personally, I think this one's better than the last one (probably because there's no fight scene… Yuck~).**

* * *

"Excuse me, are you Segimori-san?"

Said girl turned around, coming face-to-face with two unfamiliar people. Judging by their clothing and posture, she assumed they were a part of the police force. "Yes? Who's asking?"

"I apologize~ My name is Naoto Shirogane, and this is my partner, Akihiko Sanada. Do you mind if we indulge ourselves in a few questions?" The female detective appeared to be around 17 years-old, with long blue hair that fell past her shoulders. She was wearing a plain white, button-down shirt, blue tie, and a grey suit. Her male partner—nearly twice her size—had choppy, layered, silver hair, and matching grey eyes. He was wearing a similar suit in black, and underneath was wearing a red dress shirt.

"O-oh, of course!" Amaya realized she had been staring at Akihiko the entire time, and quickly diverted her eyes. It appeared that he had noticed too, because he had coughed into his hand awkwardly.

"I'm sure you've read the newspapers lately; people—students—disappearing lately. The reports mentioned that they were students that attended this school." He stepped closer to her, dangerously so, so close that she could smell the cologne he was wearing. "Would you happen to know anything about that?" Was he accusing her of abducting them?

She tried to keep her voice even, but it proved to be difficult. "I…I..." Naoto gave her a small smile in an attempt to comfort her.

"You don't have to answer right away. Sanada-san and I will be here the entire day, interviewing other students." She used the word '"interviewing," because it didn't sound as bad as the other word she was going to say…_ Interrogating_. "When you're ready, come see us." After a brief goodbye, they both walked out, and Amaya sat down in a chair by the window.

The senior let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, and laid back.

She could only stay quiet for so long…

* * *

Hei walked like he had a purpose, his head filled with so many questions, and very few answers. The only real reason he had enrolled into Fukushima was because his caretaker, Mr. Luing, was sick, and it was the closet school offering a scholarship. He had never heard of Persona before coming here, and even now, didn't understand it.

He thumbed over the card in his hand; he must've looked at it a dozen times. _'Persona…' _Too lost in his thoughts, Hei didn't realized that he had not only bumped into a red haired girl, but knocked her over, her books and papers spilling beside her as a result. And being the perfect gentlemen he was, he quickly apologized, and helped her collect her things.

"N-no, no it's fine! I-I should've been paying attention to where I was going…" She admitted, snatching the books away from him, and hugging them close to her chest. She had yet to make eye contact with him, only stroked the spine of her books lovingly. Creepy. "…Um, my name is Hikari Vale."

"Hei Nakamura, nice to meet ya." He flashed her a brilliant smile, which made her blush, and look away from him. Was it something he said? Man, girls were really weird.

"Likewise." Hikari said with a little more confidence. Her hair was a cherry red color—a shade lighter than his—and was styled in a single French braid. Her eyes were a peculiar shade of grey, and perched under them was a pair of white, thick-rimmed glasses. Admittedly, she was pretty cute in a nerdy sort of way.

"Have I seen you before? You look familiar…"

"Oh! Um… You know Daichi-sensei, right? We have first period together." She replied, tucking a lose strand of hair behind her ear. That's where he knew her. She was the girl that asked what fight simulations were. Would that make her the reason why he awakened to his Persona? Before he could ask her more, she politely excused herself from the conversation. "I-I'm sorry, but I should go… I-It was nice meeting you, Nakamura-kun." A brief smile, and then she was gone. Hei continued his destination to the library.

Meanwhile, already at the library was Naoki, who was engaged in a conversation with another girl. Engaged meaning she was doing all the talking, and the girl only nodded occasionally; she seemed rather uncomfortable, and kept looking around. Probably trying to find the nearest exist, or someone to come save her.

"You should've seen it! The shadow was all 'Oh noooo~!' and Hei-kun was all 'Raaaawr'!" She sighed. "It was prett-eh amazing."

"…I have to go now." The girl pushed past her, and ran out of the room. Naoki waved her hand dismissively, and sat down on one of the tables. She was boring anyway~

But still, if it weren't for Hei, she'd be dead by now… Okay, maybe dead was an exaggeration, but she would've made it out without a scratch. It was a depressing thought. It seemed like he was always there to save her; whether it was a bully at her school, or a scratch in the park. For once, she wanted to be there for him. She wondered sometimes if he'd be better off without her… All she was to him was a burden it seemed like. She frowned to herself.

Once she spotted said best friend, however, she beamed and hopped off. Naoki wasn't the brightest girl, but damn, did she know how to lie and act cheerful when she needed to.

"Hei-kun! I was just talking about you~"

A smirk was clear on his face. "Only good things, right?" Naoki shrugged, and giggled in reply. "I wanted to see how you were, but you look alright."

She nodded, and put her hands behind her head. "Nah, you don't need to worry about me! 'sides, I was saved by my knight in shining armor, remember?" For some reason, he blushed at being referred to as a "knight." "Oh yeah, Daichi-sensei wanted to talk to us during lunch. You'll be at his room, right?"

Hei smiled. "Of course."

* * *

Lunchtime came dreadfully slow, and when the bell for lunch did ring, Yuki had to be shakened violently awake for it.

"I'm up, I'm up!"

Naoki rolled her eyes. "Geez, I don't know how you can get away with sleeping in class, Yuki-chan. I do it, and I'm spotted almost instantly." Both girls laughed, and Hei walked into the classroom, arms folded neatly across his chest.

"You guys ready?"

Yuki nodded. "M'hm! Let's go."

* * *

To say that Daichi was nervous would be an understatement, because when they had arrived in his classroom he was dripping with sweat. "Thank god! What kept you guys so long?"

Hei glanced over at Yuki. "Princess Yuki over here decided that last period would be the perfect time to catch some Z's~"

"H-hey in my defense, I had stayed up the night before to write a report!" They stared at her in disbelief. "… Okay, I was writing a fanfic, stop staring!"

"It's fine, I'm just glad you guys are here now." Daichi smiled, and gestured for them to have a seat. They sat down, and he ran a shaky hand through his dark brown locks before continuing, "I s'pose I have some explaining to do, huh?"

Naoki gave him a sarcastic smile. "Oh no~! Kids fighting purple monsters, and summoning demons from playing cards is pretty normal, isn't it?"

"_Tarot_ cards actually." Daichi corrected her. "And what exactly do you need clarification on?"

"That Shadow we fought… It was created from a computer program?" Hei said, not asked. He knew it hadn't of been, it didn't make sense! Monsters like that aren't just created on accident, and don't just randomly attack kids. He was going to get answers. The teacher sighed, and leaned forward. Subconsciously, they did the same.

"Can I let you guys in on a little secret?" 3 nods. "I'm suspicious about the whole 'Shadow ordeal' too. On top of that, students have been mysteriously disappearing."

Yuki gulped, and suppressed the shiver that went down her spine. "D-disappearing? Why?"

Daichi shrugged. "Don't know. But what I do know is that this all happened around the time when the school opened up in January, 3 months ago. Now, I don't know about you, but I smell a mystery on our hands."

"He's right." Naoki pointed out. "And if we don't solve it, no one else will! I for one wanna know more about this school, and about my power." She looked over at Hei, who had a similar expression: determination. "So, who's in?"

It was silent for a time, before Yuki spoke up. "I-I'm in! I'm not physically adept, but I can help get some dirt on the school~"

"You already know I'm in~!" Daichi laughed.

"Hei-kun?" He nodded simply, and Naoki—surprised, not upset— hugged him. "It's so reassuring to know you feel the same way!"

"Then it's decided, we're doing this?" With Naoki still wrapped around him, he looked over at the other two people in the room, who nodded in confirmation.

"Yeah, let's solve this case!"

Suddenly, everything grew still, and a voice echoed in his hand.

"_Thou art I… And I am thou… _

_Thou hast established a new bond…_

_It brings thee closer to the truth…_

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Fool Arcana."_

"Nngh…" He held his head. _'W-what was that just now…?'_ Deciding he didn't want to worry his friends about it, he didn't mention it.

* * *

Man, what a day. Hei yawned loudly, and cracked his back. He couldn't wait to get to his room, and crawl into bed.

Strangely, when he reached his room, the door was wide open. Didn't he lock that?

A pale boy with dirty blonde hair—swept to the side—wearing an unkempt, sloppy uniform stood in the middle of the room, looking around. "Yeah? Can I help you?"

Hei blinked. "This is my room."

"Your… Oh! Dude, you must be my roommate!" His face suddenly broke out in a goofy grin, and he shook Hei's hand eagerly. "The name's Touji Vale, aka the best student here." Great, a blonde with an ego. When did that ever happen?

Hei's face twisted into confusion momentarily. "Vale? You're related to _Hikari_ Vale?" For a split second, Touji's lips twitched in annoyance, but he quickly covered it up with a laugh.

"Yessir~! We're twins in fact." Except for the hair color, and their personalities, they did look pretty identical now that Hei thought about it. "Oh, mind if I take the top bunk?"

"Nah, it's cool."

"Sweet! Thanks dude!" Touji threw his bag—ratherly carelessly—on the top bunk before throwing himself on it. Hei decided to follow suit, and get into his own bed.

In no time at all, he drifted into a deep slumber…

* * *

He wasn't sure if he was still dreaming or not when he woke up in a completely blue room. It felt claustrophobic; the walls were high, and long. There was a large, old clock above him, and he was seated at a table in front of a man with white hair, and a long nose. Beside him stood a girl with short, platinum blonde hair, held back by a hair band. As if she were a part of the décor, her outfit consisted of blues, and blacks.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room." The man smiled, and Hei shivered at the intensity of his gaze. "My name is Igor, and this is my assistant, Carin."

"Hello, my name is Carin. If there's anything you need, please let me know. I'm here to serve."

"The… Velvet Room?"

"This place exists between mind and matter… A room for those who have signed a contract…" A contract? When did he sign one, and did he even? His head began to hurt again. As if he had read his mind, Igor answered his question, "Yes… In awakening to your power of the wild card, you are now bound to a contract. From this moment forth, you are our guest in the Velvet Room."

"Wild card?"

"Surely you know of which I speak, the ability to hold multiple Personas and wield their powers… You, my young man, have an interesting journey ahead of you, and I can't wait to see it unfold." He smiled again. Was he talking about the case? "If you have close ties to people you call friends, remember this… 'Strength of heart, when united, is barred by no door…'"

Hei frowned. Nothing he was saying was making sense. "What do you mean by 'close ties'?"

"Social Links. It seems you've already obtained one~ They're special bonds you form with the people around you, and if made, strengthens your power. And that is all I can tell you."

"...B-but wait—!"

"I know you must have more questions, but alas, I can't hold you here any longer. Time still marches on in your world." A glowing key suddenly appeared in Hei's lap. "With this key, you may come visit us whenever you like."

He stuffed the key into his pocket, and stood up. "Thank you."

Igor chuckled. "No need to thank me~! Now go, the beginning of your ordeal awaits…"

* * *

**Just finished reading **_**'Beastly'**_** by Alex Flinn. Man, what a great book. If you haven't read it yet, I'd highly suggest you do~! :3 Gave me a bit of inspiration when writing this chapter. **

**Did this chapter seem a little... _Rushed_ to anyone? I dunno, re-reading it, I thought they came to the conclusion of solving the mystery a little early. If someone else thinks the same, I'll just re-write it later.**

******Ah, what else?** Guess that's it. Thank you for reading, and please review!


	7. CH4: Strength Social Link

**~ Persona Academy - Chapter 4 ~**

_I don't own the Persona series. All copyrights belong to the original owners._

* * *

**A/N: Small timeskip in this chapter, just trying to get the ball rolling~ Like the previous one, it's an introductory chapter that'll just be bringing in new characters, and background stories. Airgo, I don't think we'll be seeing much action/plot points for awhile D8 That's the thing with having, like, 20 characters in a story xD (Oh, and I'm surprised no one's asked this, but the cover image for this story is Naoki :3 I wanna draw the main cast one of these days…)**

* * *

_April 15__th__, 2013_

_It has been three days since Hei Nakamura awakened to his Persona ability. He still has a lot of questions on his mind, none of which he has answers to. He's replayed the incident over and over in his head, and there are days he sits still, and just thinks. Thinks about everything._

_Since then, there haven't been any more Shadow encounters; Hei is many things, but one thing he isn't is dumb. He knows that isn't the last time he'll come face-to-face with one…_

"Hei-kun? Hey, Hei-kun, wake up~!" A soft voice calls, and he groans, and smothers his face with a pillow to drown it out. Just 5 more minutes, he promises himself. He only needs 5 more minutes of sleep… But the voice is persistent, and he can't see it, but he _feels_ someone jumping on the bed.

"HEIIIIII-KUUUUUUUUN!" Past aggravated, his eyes flew open, and he comes face-to-face with a certain pigtailed girl straddling his hips.

With a rather red blush staining his cheeks, he shouts, "N-Naoki? Wh-what are you doing in my lap?"

"Duh, waking you up, silly~!" She giggles, and looking over her shoulder, Hei can see Touji behind her, looking pretty amused by the whole thing.

"Touji, d-did you let her in? If someone catches her in the boy's dorm, we'll get in trouble!"

The blonde shrugged in reply, a smirk present on his face whilst doing so. "What can I say, the girl's very persuasive~"

"Douchebag." It was official, he needed new friends. "… Can you get off me now?" Hei pleaded—a hint of pain in his voice—and with some reluctance, Naoki climbs off his lap.

"By the way, first period starts in 10 minutes."

Yup, he _definitely_ needed new friends.

* * *

Yuki was pretty sure she had gotten used to the school by now. Today, she had only gotten lost on the way to first period twice! Twice! That was an accomplishment in her eyes. With a certain bounce in her step, she walked into English Composition class, and took a seat close to the back. She could hear the other students gossiping around her, most of which were guys.

"Did you hear?"

"Yeah, _the_ Risette is coming to Fukushima this summer! I know it's still pretty far away, but _damn_, I'm excited!"

"Who's Risette?" She innocently asked to one of the guys sitting next to her, and he stared back at her like she had just grown a second head.

"You don't know who Rise Kujikawa is? She's only _the_ greatest idol in Japan! I happen to own all of her CDs." And he was proud of that? She was almost sorry she asked, and little disturbed actually. Yuki turned back to the front, and smiled at the two kids who entered—one of them coming in peppier than the other.

"Mornin', Yuki-chan!" Naoki greeted, taking the seat in front of her.

"Good morning Naoki-san! Hei-san!" The latter groaned in reply, and grudgingly sat next to the former. Yuki leaned forward, and whispered to Naoki, "What's up with him?"

"Oh, I guess it's just his time of the month~! Ow! Don't punch me!" She pouted, rubbing her now bruised arm. The sweater she was wearing did _nothing_ to cushion the impact!

The bell rung, and their teacher walked into the classroom, setting her things down on her wooden desk. She was a fairly tall woman, with long, almost silver blonde hair that went down her back. She wore professional attire; a white, frilly blouse, navy blue skirt, and long black boots. Hei briefly eyed the things she placed on her desk: textbooks, picture frames… Wait… Was that a whip?

"Hello class~ My name is Sakura Akagi, and I'll be your English teacher this year. I'm pretty easy-going, but get on my bad side." She picked up her whip, and began cracking it in demonstration. "Weeellll, you _don't_ want to get on my bad side." She smiled with her eyes closed.

Naoki whispered to Hei, who seemed more tense than usual since Sakura walked in. "I like 'er~!" Of course she would, they were both _psychotic_.

"Now, please turn to page 12 in your textbook."

* * *

45 minutes later the bell rung again, signaling the end of first period. Students had 5 minutes to get to the next class, but Hei, Naoki, and Yuki remained, straddling the hallway, conversing back and forth for awhile until it was time to go.

"Yanno, I heard a few clubs are accepting new members." Naoki started with a smile, "Wouldn't it be cool if we joined the same one?" Hint hint.

"Yeah, 'cause I didn't get enough of you this morning." Hei grumbled.

Yuki stared at both of them confused, and blushing. No, she didn't hear that correctly, did she? This morning? "Y-you guys _did_ it this morning…?" Both students nearly choked at the accusation. Of course it was Naoki who jumped on the defensive first.

"N-no way! Ya see, he wouldn't get up, so I sat in his lap, and started jump—"

Yuki covered her ears. "Stop it! I'm too young for this!"

"We're _not_ dating!"

"And I'm the same age as you!"

"LALALALALA, I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" Turning around sharply, and suddenly, she collided into a slightly taller than her, blonde girl. Her hair was tied up with a white ribbon, and she was wearing an over-sized, grey sweater over her uniform shirt. Her face was scrunched up in anger, a crease forming in between her eyebrow, and Yuki would've laughed at it if that anger _wasn't_ directed at her.

"Ouch~! Hey, watch where you're going, wouldja?" She rolled up her sleeves, and looked down at her wristwatch. "Ah, crap, I'm late!" Obviously not one for introductions, the girl quickly pushed past the group, sprinting down the halls. Hei turned around.

"W-wait, where are you going?"

"Kendo!" She shouted over her shoulder before disappearing from their sight.

In English, Kendo meant "The Way of the Sword," the art of Japanese Samurai swordsmanship. Though not limited to a specific gender or age, it had piqued Hei's interest that a girl his age was interested. A pretty girl at that.

"C'mon, Hei-kun, we have 2 minutes to get to 2nd period!" Naoki tugged on his sleeve, and he shook out of his thoughts. He followed her out of the hall along with Yuki.

"…Still can't believe you two did it~"

"Shut up! …Ow! Yuki-chan that hurt!" Yuki had punched her, in the exact same spot Hei had minutes prior. She'd need an icepack once she got to the dorm…

* * *

It was after school, the "free" period where students could mingle with others, or in Hei's case, join Kendo Club. He wanted to see that girl again; he wasn't sure why he was interested, or what attracted her to him. It wasn't like they had a smooth meeting. That was when Igor's words echoed in his head.

_"Social Links. It seems you've already obtained one~ They're special bonds you form with the people around you, and if made, strengthens your power…"_

Social Links… Could that be it? Could she be a potential bond? It would explain the connection he felt to her. Hei pushed open the gymnasium doors, and was greeted by the sound of steel swords clashing against each other, and teenagers decked out in black equipment gear. Over in the corner, he noticed the girl from before, putting on her helmet. Her uniform was abandoned, and in it's place, she wore the standard, protective equipment for Kendo. He strode over towards her causally.

"Uh, hey again~ Remember me?" She squinted her eyes at him, maybe trying to remember. I guess it _was_ a few hours ago.

"…Hmmm… Oh yeah, you were with that girl that bumped into me." Not the best way to remember someone by, but he'd take it. "If you're here… I guess it means you want to join Kendo?" He nodded, and a small smile found its way on her face. It seemed misplaced—only because the last time he saw her she looked pretty pissed—but beautiful nonetheless. "Well, why don't you come and meet the other members?" Another nod, and then he was led to a different part of the gym. Sitting on the benches were 3 other men—two of which looked familiar. A blonde haired boy grinned at him.

"Heya roomie~"

"Touji…? Don't tell me you're in Kendo Club."

He looked almost hurt. _Almost_. "Sir, your words wound me~ Can't a guy have a hobby?" Hei sighed, and the girl looked between the two of them in confusion.

"You two know each other?"

"Yup!"

"Unfortunately…"

Another one of the members stood up, and looked at Hei. He towered over him in height, and had jet black hair. "Well, if it ain't the kid that stood up to me. How ya doin'?" The senior shook Hei's hand rather forcibly. "Lemme introduce myself, the name's Narashino Oda, better known as _'The Demon King.'_"

"I-It's nice to meet you." Hei managed to choke out. How much did that guy bench anyway? Another boy around Hei's height stood up as well. His skin was pale, almost like moonlight, and he too had black hair, albeit messier. Sitting on top of his head was a knitted beanie, and over his uniform he wore a long trench coat.

"'Sup? I'm Takeshi Mikazuki, don't piss me off, and we'll get along fine~"

Finally, it was the girl's turn to introduce herself. "And I'm Natsu Akaike, welcome to Kendo Club."

He heard a voice ring inside his head.

"_Thou art I… And I am thou…_

_Thou hast established a new bond…_

_It brings thee closer to the truth…_

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Strength Arcana…"_

And just like that it faded away, back into the recesses of his mind. He came back to reality just in time, for Natsu was going over the schedule for Kendo.

"We meet here in the gym every Tuesday and Thursday." Natsu smiled, and patted Hei on the shoulder. "I know sometimes you get busy, but try to show up every once and awhile, alright?"

Hei nodded.

He did it, he joined his first club! That's when he remembered what Naoki had said in the hallway, and he slapped himself on the forehead.

"_Wouldn't it be cool if we joined the same one?"_

She'd be pissed. Naoki _hated _fencing.

* * *

**Shorter, crappier chapter because my computer kept freezing, and I lost the trial version of Office Word. *le sigh* I'm sorry you guys if I disappointed you. Please review anyway~ **

**... I feel like I'm going to get ripped apart for this one...**


	8. CH5: Do You Wish We'd Fall In Love?

**~ Persona Academy - Chapter 5 ~**

_I don't own the Persona series. All copyrights belong to the original owners._

* * *

**A/N - Oh my goodness, 100 reviews? (Well, almost xD) I-I don't know what to say... Ahhhh, I'm gonna cry D; You guys are too nice! Sorry I haven't updated sooner (typically, I've been rolling out chapters the next), but I've been pretty distracted, editin' videos, and all~**

**Unlike the previous chapter, I wanted to make this one a little more action-y, the reason being because Yuki and Naoki have _yet_ to awaken to their Personas :3 I warn you though, I haven't had all that much inspiration, so it's pretty short...**

**I thought I'd take a moment to reply to Anonymous reviews before starting this chapter~**

**To Revolutionary of Hades:**

**Actually, I had intended for it to be at the beginning of this little ficlet~ Regardless if the protagonist ended up male or female, I wanted Naoki to develop feelings for them.**

**To Demons Anarchy of Pride:**

**You'll have a little of both, don't worry ;D And I thought I answered this already, but I changed my name to YosukeHanamura because I'm just a huge Yosuke fangirly 8D Plus, I saw the name wasn't taken, so I became even more tempted to use it. Sorry.**

**Alright, sorry 'bout that~! Without further ado, here's chapter 5!**

* * *

_April 19th, 2013_

She didn't know why it bothered her so much, it just _did_. He had told her time, and time again that they were only friends—hell, even she told some people that—so why... Why did this hurt so much...?

To seem him laughing, and smiling with Hikari, drinking her in, drinking in her beauty. His name rolled off her tongue so naturally, and so timidly too. _Nakamura-kun_. Hei reminded her that she didn't have to call him that, didn't have to be so formal, but she'd just blush a little, and tell him that she liked to, because it was _unique_.

Naoki hated it, felt sick to her stomach seeing it, hearing it. It had only been 4 days, but they seemed practically insperable, and she had been pushed out of the picture entirely. It hurt, there was a pain at the pit of her stomach, uncoiling, and coiling itself slowly. Her eyes stung, but no tears would come; her throat was dry.

When confronted about it, she'd just laugh, and say she was happy for her best friend. But it was a lie. She's been lying so much, she's surprised no one has caught on, or maybe they didn't care enough to question that smile...

He never needed her, and she felt she was slowly breaking apart...

Those days in Daichi-sensei's class with Hikari, Hei, and Yuki seemed to blur together, and today, she almost missed him calling on her.

"Erizawa-chan, it's your turn to practice the battle simulator. Wanna chose your party, or do you want me to?"

She chewed on her bottom lip softly, and looked down. "You can..."

"W-what? Naoki-san... I'll be in your party." Yuki smiled at her, and Naoki, with some difficulty, smiled back. It was getting harder just to do trivial things like that. Daichi nodded, and made a note of it in the book he used to keep track of the students. So far, there haven't been any more Shadow encounters, so students have just been sparring with each other.

"Erizawa-chan, Tomoko-chan... Who else?" Everyone expected her to pick Hei. Part of her desperately wanted to, partly because he was the only other person she knew in the class... But...

Yuki stole the words right out of her mouth. "Well, if Hei-san wants to...?"

"Ah, yeah... Why not?" For some reason, his relationship with Naoki had been estranged... He tried asking her what was wrong, but she'd only smile and change the subject... He thought her teasing, and constant flirting was annoying, but now that she wasn't as cheerful, he sort of _missed_ it.

He'd never tell her this, but he considered her his best friend, one of his only. She had seen him at his worse, at his best, she had even been there when his parents were abusive. Naoki was his crutch, and without her...

They entered the battle simulator as usual, though for some reason, the atmosphere felt different... More _tense_. Yuki for one felt uncomfortable. She could tell something was wrong with Naoki, but she wasn't sure how to help. She had zero experience in this—comforting someone, making them feel better—she only knew so much from the books she had read.

Yuki wished she could help her friend, she really did... But somehow, she felt that Naoki would have to overcome this herself...

"Huh?" Yuki asked, snapping back to attention. So lost in her thoughts, she hadn't realized Hei was talking to her.

"I said, do you know what's wrong with Naoki? She hasn't been her usual self lately." Hei said, in an almost dazed voice. He couldn't help it, his eyes had drifted over to Naoki who stood awkwardly against the wall, arms crossed over her chest, staring at the ground like it was the most interesting thing in the world. Yuki scoffed lightly, feeling slightly irritated that Hei had no idea that Naoki liked him, or that Hikari seemed to like him as well. However, that did not mean she would tell him that. It was none of her business after all, even if they _were_ friends.

"It's very... _complicated_," Yuki finally replied, choosing her words carefully. She remained silent after that.

And this silence stretched on, swallowing them alive, until the entire party was quiet; not even the small, occasional noises of the interactive environment seemed to have an effect on it.

_Awkward, _was the best way to describe it. Yuki did not like the silence between her two friends. They were her first friends in Fukushima after all, and possibly her only. She felt like telling Naoki to face the fact: she had a crush on Hei. She felt like telling Hei to at least notice Naoki. Or to spend more time with her.

Yuki _did_ feel like she was missing something when she had bumped into that Kendo girl, Natsu. Then she became suspicious when she heard Hei decided to join the Kendo club. At first, she thought it was because Natsu was pretty and was in Kendo, but then she realized there was something else going on. Something she couldn't exactly help with...

She hated this feeling, feeling so _helpless_.

_'It's only been a few days!'_ Yuki tried to convince herself. _'Calm down already~!'_

_**'But I don't like this... 'Sides, what if they decide not to hang out with me anymore and don't speak to each other at all?'**_ Another part of her screamed, and she found it harder, and harder to figure out which part to listen to.

_'Don't overreact! You know that only those two can solve their problems!'_

_**'But I still think I should help somehow...'**_

_'Leave it to them to__—__'_

"A Shadow!" Someone had called out suddenly, causing her to break her train of thought once again. But this Shadow was different than the first one they had encountered a week ago... This one resembled a petite girl... Pigtails, sweater... And glassy, yellow eyes...

It looked exactly liked Naoki_—_minus the menancing, purple aura that surrounded it, and yellow eyes_—_and spoke in a sugar-sweet voice, "I was always jealous of Hei-kun. Everything seemed to come so easily to him... I could never tell him, but I always had feelings for him."

Naoki's brown eyes widened. "Wh-what? W-who are you...?"

"I'm you, and you're me. Can't you tell?" The Shadow laughed, and Naoki shook her head with distaste. She was sure she was dreaming, and she'd wake up in her bed_—_Yuki above her, typing away at her laptop_—_and everything would be back to normal.

But when she closed, and re-opened her eyes... The Shadow was still there.

She shook her head again, tears beginning to drip from her eyes, and backed away slowly. "N-no! You're wrong... I-I don't..."

"All I ever wanted was for him to notice me as a woman! But than that _**skank**_ Hikari came along, and stole him away from me, ruined everything I worked hard on! Hei was just a shy, awkward little kid until _**I**_ came along."

"Stop it! You're lying!"

"You put on a good act of being cheerful all the time, but the truth is, you're_** insecure**_. You don't think you're good enough for Hei."

"No... You're..."

"_You'll never be the one he wants_."

By this time, Naoki had heard enough, and she dropped down to her knees, and cried. And ignoring the warning calls from Daichi, the surprised stare from Hei, and warm embrace from Yuki, she screamed. "You're wrong! You're not me!"

And then everything grew dark... Naoki had collapsed, and the Shadow had manifested, changed into something far more sinister...

"This is what happens when Persona users bottle up their securities!"

So, that meant...

When the smoke cleared, the Shadow was gone, and in its place stood an angel with one wing, and those bright, evil eyes... "I am a shadow... The true self... If I _**can't**_ have you, no one can!" It began casting Hama spells, and Hei had nearly dodged, and missed one targeting him. He couldn't fight it! What if this thing was right, and it was a part of Naoki? Wouldn't he hurt her too?

"Stop it! I-I don't want to fight you! I-I'm sorry I never noticed your feelings! But how could I...?" Another Hama spell, he tumble rolled out of the way.

The Shadow cackled loudly again. "It's too late for that! Say goodnight, Hei-_**kun**_!" It charged up one last spell...

"Hei-san!" Yuki gasped, and she had to shield her eyes from the incoming light that had appeared. Naoki stood, arms spread wide apart in front of Hei, taking the Hama spell for him. The Shadow raised it's eyebrows.

"That's... Enough." She panted, head still a little clouded. "I-you're right... About everything. I _was_ jealous when Hei-kun was spending more time with Hikari..."

"Naoki..."

She turned around, and smiled genuinely at Hei. "_I love you._ I... Should have told you that a long time ago."

* * *

**Not much of a fight scene... Dammit...**

**I wanna give a HUUUUUUUGE thank you to ****tashaj4de**** and ****der kapitan**** for their help with this chapter. I couldn't have wrote it without you two :3 (Especially since Natasha wrote the majority of it *shot*) **

**As I always say, thank you guys for reading, and leave a nice review :)**


	9. Notice

**Hey guys~ :3 This isn't a chapter update, just a notice.**

**I-um... This story will be going on hiatus for awhile. To be honest, I don't really have the desire to continue it at this point. I'm so sorry, really... I just can't do it. I had to literally _force_ myself to write the last chapter. I even considered putting this up for adoption, but that's not fair to you readers. So... I _will _be continuing this story, I just want to take a small break from it.**

**What I really want to do is a re-write of Persona 4 with OCs added. :3 (I can't write original stories, I really can't...) If anyone's interested, here's the template to follow (much longer than the one for Persona Academy). Thank you guys for understanding, I love you all.**

Basics  
Name:  
Age: (15 - 16 = 1st Year. 16 - 17 = 2nd Year.)  
Date of Birth: (Remember, the game takes place in 2011 - 2012)  
Zodiac:  
Height:  
Blood Type:  
Weapons: (No bladed weapons, I think the party has enough xD)  
Arcana/Social Link: (No Magician, Fool, Fortune, Chariot, Emperor, Lovers, Priestess, Star orrrr Empress please~)

Persona  
Initial Persona:  
Ultimate Persona:  
Strengths:  
Weak:  
Abilities:

Appearance  
Hair Color:  
Hair Style:  
Eye Color:  
Style of School Uniform: (Any modifications?)  
Style of Outside Clothes:

Summer -

Winter -

Weekends -

Swimsuit -

Yukata -

Personality/Bio  
Was On TV For:  
Biggest Hidden Confession/Dungeon:

When You Join The Party: (Either before or after a specific member)

Good Traits:  
Bad Traits:  
Love Interest(s): (NPCs, Party Members, or None)  
Best Friends: (Same)  
Friends: (Same)  
Rivals/Disliked People: (Same)  
Family:  
Background Story:

Battle Quotes  
**Enemy weak to attack/Critical with Phys skill (2)**

**_One-More! _chance by others (2)**

**Summoning Persona (3)**

**Prompting Follow-up attack (2)**

**Performing Follow-up attack (2)**

**Follow-up attack (2)**

**Failure to eliminate enemy (2)**

**Enemy blocks attack (2)**

**Recovering Ally's mental ailments (2)**

**Recovering from _Down/Dizzy_ status (2)**

**Being Healed (2)**

**Prompting All-Out Attack (3)**

**Performing All-Out Attack (3)**

**During All-Out Attack (2)**

**After denying All-Out Attack (2)**

**Victory (3)**

**Level Up (2)**

**Protagonist Level Up (2)**

**Cheering on Party Member (3)**

**Cheering on Protagonist (1)**


	10. CH6: Always Protect You

**Okay, first I'd like to say that I didn't write this chapter, SaberTheFallenAngel did~ Thank you for all the help you've given me thus far.**

**Secondly, I'd like to announce that Persona Academy will be continued :3 I felt really bad about giving up on this, especially with all the hard work that was put in to get this up and running. So, I have turned it into a collaboration between myself, and the oh so lovely der kapitan~ I do hope you haven't given up on this fic, and will continue lending me your support!**

**You didn't think I'd let it die, would you? ;D I promise, I won't let you guys down, and I'll make this the best fanfic possible!**

**Thank you! And stay tuned for more!**

**~ _YosukeHanamura_**

* * *

Hei stood motionless after hearing what Naoki had said to him.

"_She… loves me?"_ he thought to himself, shocked at what he had just learned. However he was unable to dwell on this before Naoki collapsed under the effect of the attack.

"Naoki!" He yelled as he scooped her into his arms. He quickly checked her pulse and let out a sigh of relief when he felt a stable heartbeat. He barely heard Daichi call out to him.

"Hei! This thing is an aspect of Naoki but it's out of control! If we don't stop it, it'll do everything it can to kill her!"

"But… If it's part of her, then won't attacking it hurt her?"

"Right now it's separate from her. It'll be the only thing that gets hurts. You have to do this Hei!"

For what felt like years, Hei considered this. Would Naoki really feel none of the Shadows pain? Would it really kill her if he didn't fight it? Hundreds of questions raced through his mind. Eventually he reached a decision.

"Yuki, keep Naoki safe for me."

"Huh? B-but I-"

"Please. You're the only one who can do this."

Yuki hesitantly nodded and put herself between Naoki and the Shadow. While she did this, Hei walked towards the beast, his eyes burning with anger. "I don't know if what Daichi said is true. But you hurt Naoki. And I won't forgive you for that!" He yelled before summoning Loki.

Daichi smiled slightly, impressed by Hei's resolve to protect his friends. He too then turned to face the Shadow. "Usually I don't step in to my students affairs, but you risked one of 'ems life. I'm not gonna let that stand." Just as he said this, a baton and a card appeared in his hands. He threw the card in the air before striking it with his baton. As he did this, his own persona, Haya-Ji, God of the whirlwind, appeared. He was a muscular fellow with tanned skin, and wavy, snow white hair which ended just below his back. He was shirtless; around his neck was a golden amulet, and a matching circlet, and tied around his waist was a blue-green loincloth.

The Shadow glanced at its two opponents, annoyed that they were standing in its way. "**It doesn't matter how many of you there are, you will die. And then that bitch Hikari!**" After saying this, the Shadow prepared another Hama spell, once again aimed at Hei. However in its efforts to attack its target it failed to see Haya-Ji strike it with a Zio spell. "**AAAARGH!**" It screamed losing focus on its spell, which faded before it could take effect.

"Now, Loki!" Hei commanded as his own Persona used Agi, seriously injuring the berserk Shadow.

"_It's weaker than it was a few minutes ago… Is it because of what Naoki said?"_ Daich quickly thought to himself before returning his focus to the fight. The Agi spell that Hei cast had sent the Shadow in his direction. Preparing his baton Daichi waited until the Shadow was close before striking it, sending it back towards Hei.

At the sight of the creature approaching him Hei knew what he had to do. He clenched his spear in his hands and with a sharp thrust, pierced the Shadows flesh. Taking advantage of its surprise to pull himself up using his spear for leverage and quickly punching the Shadow in the face, before planting both his feats where his fist had previously been and, with all the strength he could muster, kicked his enemy, sending it flying on too it's back and pulling his spear out of its flesh at the same time.

Hei landed on his feet and turned towards his opponent who was collapsed on the ground and appeared to be struggling to get up. He then heard Daichi yell to him, "Let's attack together while it's down!" Hei was in no mood to argue with his teacher so he simply nodded and both men charged and begin hitting their opponent with everything they had. Eventually the Shadow let out a roar and dissolved into darkness, leaving the clone of Naoki behind.

"Uhh.."

Hei quickly turned at the sound of Naoki waking up and rushed over to her, forgetting completely of the clone which was also starting to rise. "Naoki! Are you ok? Speak to me!"

"Ughhh… Hei-kun?"

"Thank god." Hei whispered as he hugged Naoki. As he pulled back, he noticed that she was staring at the Shadow, which had gone strangely quiet. He quietly let go of her and let her stand to face it.

"Naoki, this Shadow was born from the buried feelings within your heart. As long as you deny it, it will never go away." Daichi said solemnly, which was proof enough that he meant what he said.

Naoki stared at the floor as she thought about what Daichi said, the creature, her Shadow, had revealed what she had desperately wanted to avoid. There was no running from it anymore. "You're right I was jealous of Hikari. When I saw her and Hei together I felt so… alone. I wanted to be with Hei, I wanted him to love me like I love him. But I was just focusing on the pain of seeing them together instead of thinking about how to earn Hei's love. I won't make that mistake again. You're me, and I'm you…"

With these words the Shadow smiled and nodded before being engulfed in light and vanishing. Looking up, Naoki saw the image of an angel, her Persona, Virtue. She had long golden hair, and wore a blue dress that cut off at her calves. She was also decked out in what appeared to be holy armour, and in her left hand was a grey spear. The Persona was quickly replaced by a card which floated down to her before vanishing. As soon as it did, Naoki collapsed again. Thankfully Hei caught her before she could hit the floor.

"It's OK. She's just exhausted. Facing your own self can do really tire you out." Daichi said quickly. "Though you'd better take her to the nurses office just to be safe."

Hei nodded and quickly lifter Naoki to carry her.

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

If Hei's hands weren't full, he would have smacked himself. Thankfully Daichi was kind enough to remove his and Naoki's goggles before sending them on their way. Yuki removed her own goggles and followed them.

Daichi also removed his goggles but chose to wait. "Hei Nakamura, one of the most natural Persona users I've ever seen. And now a Shadow that's born from the secrets and insecurities of a human. Just what's going on?"

* * *

Hei sat at Naoki's bed, waiting for her to wake up. She had passed out after she accepted her Shadow and hadn't woken up yet. He had immediately taken her to the infirmary where Amaya assured him that she would be fine. Still, Hei was concerned and, to be honest, a little guilty. It was Naoki's feelings for him and her jealousy of the time he spent with Hikari that had given birth to that monster and left Naoki in this condition. He swore to himself that he wouldn't leave till she woke up.

Knowing that it could be a while before Naoki woke up, he decided to ask Amaya some questions that had been bothering him. "Segimori-senpai, Have you ever heard of a Shadow born from someone's repressed emotions?"

Hearing this Amaya stopped looking through the medicine on a shelf and turned to face Hei, "…Yes, I have heard of them. They tell you what you don't want to hear, but what you need to know. They say that if this Shadow exists, you cannot summon a Persona, but if you accept it, you will gain strength and using your Persona will be as natural to you as breathing."

"Right, but why would one appear in the battle simulator?"

"They appear wherever normal Shadows appear."

"And WHY do normal Shadows appear there?"

Amaya didn't answer at first, instead staring coldly at Hei. He was a little intimidated by how the room seemed to grow colder the longer she stared at him. "That is not a question I can answer. The only thing you should be concerned about is that they are there, and that they will kill you if you don't do the same to them first." The words were as cold as her stare and her tone said the message she clearly meant to say, _"This conversation is over." _Hei wasn't about to sit back though and wasn't going to stop till his questions were answered.

"Ahhh…"

The sound of Naoki stirring from her sleep mad Hei immediately forget his resolve and went to check on her. "Naoki, are you okay?"

"H-Hei-kun? Where are we?" Naoki spoke, clearly still tired and barely able to keep her eyes open.

"We're in the infirmary. You passed out after you got your Persona."

"Oh… I remember now." Naoki wearily stated before looking at the card with the image of the angelic Virtue upon it. At the sight of this, she smiled lightly and turned to Hei, "Thank you for protecting me Hei-kun."

With that Naoki fell asleep again, looking more content then she had before. "Accepting a Shadow is a tiring process. She will need a few more days before she will be allowed to leave."

Hei nodded slightly before focusing his gaze on Amaya once more. "Sorry, if I went a bit overboard on the questions. I'm just concerned; I want to know she'll be okay."

For a few seconds Amaya just stood there, silently observing him. Eventually her shoulders loosened and she let out a sigh. "It's okay. You had your friend's best interests at heart. Though you should probably be careful about whom you ask that kind of question too. Others respond… poorly."

Hei was glad that Amaya wasn't angry at him and decided to take her advice. If he was going to find out the answer to these questions, it would be best if he did some research at the library first.

"I trust you'll take care of Naoki?"

"Of course. It's my job after all."

With a quick bow and a glance at Naoki, Hei decided to leave. He had a lot to look into.


	11. CH7: Death Social Link

**Written by der kapitan**

* * *

_April 23, 2013_

Naoki was still in the infirmary. Hei had tried visiting her as much as he could, but Amaya usually ended up kicking him out. _"She needs her rest, Nakamura,"_ she'd say sternly, narrowing her eyes at him. _"I understand your concern, but perhaps the healing process will speed up with some solitude, hmmm?"_ After being blatantly turned away earlier this morning, he was beginning to think she might have a point.

According to Daichi-sensei, that Shadow spawned from her feelings for him. She had confessed and thus overcome her Shadow, but maybe he was being insensitive. She told him she _loved_ him, and while she was his best friend, he still wasn't sure how he felt about her romantically. Romance had never really been his strong point, and now this…? Maybe it was better if he left her alone for the time being, so that both of them could think.

He heaved a sigh as he took his seat for class. Yuki, seeing him come in, took out her earphones and turned to him hurriedly. "Hey Hei-kun," she greeted. "Have you seen Naoki-chan today?"

"No," he grumbled, running a hand down his face. "Segimori-senpai kicked me out when I went to visit this morning."

"Oh." Truth was, she had seen Naoki earlier without any protest from the older student. Amaya must have noticed the effect Hei and Naoki had on each other and decided that the two needed some time apart. It made sense, Yuki thought, considering how much Naoki had gone through a couple days ago and how much she would need to recover mentally and physically. "Well, she'll probably be released soon. And you know Naoki-chan - she wouldn't want us to worry about her!"

Hei smiled, thinking of his pig-tailed friend's cheeriness. "Yeah, you're right."

The classes rolled on quickly after that, until it was finally lunch time. "I'm gonna get a soda," he said to Yuki, who was unwrapping her bento box. She nodded, though he doubted she actually heard him; she looked awfully excited about the panda-shaped onigiri she'd be having for lunch. "I'll be right back." His words were falling on deaf ears, but he thought it'd be polite.

With his hands in his pockets, he traveled into the hallway, intent on buying an orange soda - only to run into a blockade. (A pretty blockade, but a blockade nonetheless.) "Where have you been?" Natsu asked accusingly, one thin eyebrow arched.

He jumped back, startled, feeling like he was cornered. "W-what…?" Then it him, (quite literally) when he smacked his palm against his forehead. "Oh shoot! Kendo!" After his first meeting last week, he had yet to go to another. Obviously she noticed, considering the deep crease in her brow. "S-sorry," he apologized sheepishly, trying to grin.

Her sharp features softened. "Well, I heard what happened…"

It probably shouldn't have been a surprise; the school wasn't _that_ big and people liked to talk a lot. Still, he wasn't sure how much he liked that that information was circulating around. "Yeah..."

"I know you've been busy, but see if you can come around today, hm?" she requested, sounding much more chipper, as she patted him roughly on the shoulder. "Maybe some kendo is the break you need!" With that, she skipped away.

He watched her depart, then walked over to the soda machine and picked up his can. He thoughtfully sipped the cool, orange soda. _"Kendo, huh?"_

* * *

After classes, he said goodbye to Yuki (who he noticed had run off in the direction of the infirmary) before heading the gymnasium. There was a small bounce in his step; he hadn't really gotten the chance to work with the equipment, since last time was about introductions. Maybe this time he'd finally be able to get his hands on a sword…

As soon as he walked in, an arm was thrown around his shoulders, pulling him down. "Woah! What the he-"

"Long time no see, roomie!" Touji laughed, grinding his knuckles against Hei's scalp.

"C'mon…! Lemme go…!"

A growl sounded from a taller figure as they were suddenly pulled apart. "Quit messin' around," snapped the dark-haired teenager, leering at them. While Touji just snorted and walked away, Hei swallowed thickly, intimidated by him and afraid of making him angry. They'd met on his first day in kendo club, and suddenly he could hear his greeting in his mind: _"'Sup? I'm Takeshi Mikazuki, don't piss me off, and we'll get alone fine~"_

Well, shit. So much for that.

"S-sorry," Hei managed, trying to not look too terrified. "H-Hey, so, uh, where's Natsu?" He looked around the gym, seeking out the blonde, but found that only the male members of the club were present.

"At soccer, probably," Takeshi answered gruffly. "Her practices usually overlap on Tuesdays."

His eyes nearly bulged out of his eye sockets. "Soccer _and_ kendo on the same day?" He'd definitely thought the girl was a little mental when he met her, but… "Do you think she'll be coming around soon?" Though part of him thought it was a bit hypocritical of her to corner her and demand that he come to practice when she didn't, another part just wanted a familiar face around. He hadn't _really_ gotten to know anyone else in the club, and aside from Touji, they didn't look all that friendly. It made him a little nervous, to be honest.

Takeshi shrugged, obviously unconcerned, and left to swap out his uniform with protective gear. Stranded in the middle of the gym floor, Hei suddenly felt incredibly out of place.

"Don't let him get to you," Touji chirped, popping up beside him. "He's not really a people person."

Hei blinked in Takeshi's direction. "Yeah, I can kinda see that…"

"He's usually by himself. I'd feel bad for him, but he scares me." With a snicker, the blond pulled on his helmet and threw a spare at Hei. "C'mon, let's get some actual practice in. Natsu swears we can actually win the upcoming conference and I think she's full of it, but I'd rather not have her on my case when we lose. I'll get you some gear."

"Is it just the five of us?" Hei asked, looking around at the nearly empty room.

"Nah, there are a bunch of us, but they blow it off a lot. We've tried sicking Oda on them, though, and that usually proves pretty effective." The redhead waited for Touji to say it was a joke, but he just laughed darkly. "More of them should be coming around, though, 'cause of the conference. If we win, we get to go on to Nationals, which means we get to travel."

"Where?"

"No idea. But it's a paid trip and it'll probably be in a big city, so who cares?" He threw some pads at Hei, then a black uniform, and finally a wooden sword. "The restroom's around the corner, thought you should know that by now. Hurry up~!"

Scowling at the authoritative way his roommate talk to him, Hei grabbed the handful of supplies and waddled to the restroom. It took a while to figure out how everything went on, but in the end it all fit together and, really, he didn't look all that bad! "I could be a samurai!" he cheered, grinning, as he looked at himself in the mirror.

"GRAAAAH!"

Jumping at the yell, Hei's instinct steered him towards it: in the gymnasium. What he saw was bizarre, but not altogether surprising. "What are you guys _doing_?" shouted a hysterical Natsu, still dressed in her soccer uniform. Narashino was on the ground, laughing, with a broken bokken at his side, and Takeshi was standing guiltily above him. "Mikazuki," she sighed, holding a hand to her head, "I get that you're determined, and that's awesome, but come _on_…"

"Don't worry about it, Akaike," Narashino said jovially, jumping to his feet. He swung his arms back and forth, as though testing them out, then grinned. "That was incredible, Mikazuki."

Hei thought he might have seen a ghost of a smile on Takeshi's face, but it was instantly wiped off by Natsu's sigh of exasperation. "Yes, incredible, but the principal refused to buy us more equipment last time, remember? And how the hell do you think we're gonna get to Nationals with something like this?" She scooped up the bokken, now in two pieces, and glowered at both males. "I swear, you two- Oh, Nakamura-kun." She blinked at him, as though surprised to see him there, and embarrassedly rubbed the back of her head.

The attention suddenly shifted to him, making him feel awfully uncomfortable. "Oh, uh… hi. Hey." He raised a hand in greeting, though really he just wanted to slink into the background.

"Hi," she returned weakly. "Well… Let's get to practicing, I guess." With a full duffel bag at her side, she brushed past him, heading towards the restrooms.

"You just witnessed the wrath of the Kendo Queen," Touji snickered, noting the dumbfounded look on Hei's face. "Though not quite to the full extent as I might have liked…"

Hei lined himself up with Touji, sword in hand. "She's really into this, huh?"

"Yeah, she's crazy."

While they did a few practice rounds, Hei felt a pair of eyes watching him the entire time. He shrugged it off, not wanting it to affect how he was doing - especially since it was his first day. Once they finished, Touji looked mildly impressed. "Are you sure you've never done this before? You're pretty good."

He couldn't help grinning as he pulled off his helmet. "Nah…"

"Good work," Narashino complimented, hitting him (maybe it was supposed to be a pat) on the back. "Maybe we'll actually have a real chance this year, eh? Don't slack off, Nakamura."

"T-thanks, I guess…"

After practice, the gym quickly cleared out, with Natsu only stopping by to say thanks before she left. "Oh, and make sure you show up Thursday! We'll definitely win the conference this year…" She ran off after that, without letting him say anything.

Hei went to pack his things, but felt a familiar presence behind him while doing so. "Uh…" He turned around, surprised (and a little frightened) to find Takeshi standing near him. "H-hey…"

The pale teen shifted awkwardly on his feet. "Hey. I, uh… wanted to apologize about earlier. I'm not…" He rubbed his neck. "Well, welcome to the team. You look really good, though you could use some practice. … Er, all of us could, I mean." He tried to smile as he extended his hand to Hei, and Hei could tell that he was genuinely trying. With a grin of his own, he took his hand.

He heard a crack in the recesses of his mind, accompanied by a strong voice.

_ Thou art I… And I am thou…_

_ Thou has established a new bond…_

_ It brings thee closer to the truth…_

_ Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Death Arcana…_

He shook his head, coming to, and gaze Takeshi's hand a small squeeze. "I'll be seeing you around then, eh?" The addressed nodded, then quickly scurried away, ducking his head. _"He seems like a nice guy,"_ Hei thought as he continued packing his things. _"A little rough around the edges, maybe, but…" _After making sure he had everything and that the gym was cleaned, he grabbed his bag and headed out.

* * *

While walking around campus, he couldn't help but think about Naoki. He'd never realized how much time the two of them spent together until now, when he was walking alone so often. That whole romance thing aside, he really just missed her companionship. _"Maybe this means I should get some more friends,"_ he thought, deadpanning. Sure, there was Yuki, but she was closer to Naoki than to him, and there was Touji, but he really didn't want to spend anymore extra time with his roommate considering that he _lived _with him. Natsu seemed nice, but he doubted she had any time for anything outside her clubs and he doubted Takeshi would have wanted to get an ice cream with him on a whim. Of course, there _was_ Hikari, and she was kind if not a little quiet, and they had been getting along quite well…

But then he thought about Naoki and her Shadow, so he wasn't even sure about _that_. Ugh, what a pain.

"Maybe I'll just spend the rest of my life alone," he thought out loud. It seemed like a lot less of a hassle, and who was there to offend if he did? No one, because he would be _alone_.

_"_Otouto? Is that you?"

"Misako-nee-chan!" he yelped, spotting his sister walking his way. Her red-orange hair was easy to spot, as was the tan jersey jacket she wore over her uniform jacket. Despite attending the same school, he realized he hadn't seen her much, if at all. "How've you been?"

"I've been great," she answered, smiling softly as she quickly embraced him. "I hope you've been adjusting. I've…" She hesitated a bit, biting down on her lower lip. "Well, I've heard stories about you from some of my classmates and around school. You're not… getting into trouble, are you?"

Trouble? If fighting Shadows and dealing with mysterious things called Persona were trouble, he'd had plenty of it! Misako looked terribly worried, though, with her eyebrows drawn together and her fingers fiddling with each other. She didn't need to worry about him; as valedictorian of her class, she had plenty of other things to keep her mind occupied. She certainly didn't need to keep tabs on her kid brother.

"Nah, you know how people like to talk, 'nee-chan," he laughed, and from the look of relief she wore he could tell she believed him. "I can take care of myself, you know!" He gave her an affirmative thumb's up, earning a giggle. "So what've you been up for the past couple of weeks?"

"Oh, lots of studying," she murmured, playing with the ends of her hair. "I've barely left the library, to be honest. It's a bit embarrassing." From the blush she wore, he had to wonder if others teased her about it or not. She didn't let him ask about it, though. "Well, I've got to go. I have so much homework to do and it's only Tuesday. Take care of yourself, Otouto."

"W-wait!"

She blinked her gray eyes at him. "Hm?"

"Let's get lunch some time this week," he suggested. "I mean, just 'cause we're going to the same school now - doesn't mean we shouldn't hang out every now and then, huh? We're still siblings, after all."

Her lips formed another warm smile. "Of course, Otouto. Just text me, and I'll let you know when I'm free. I'm sure you're busy, too, but we can figure something out. Bye!" They both waved goodbye to each other, then Hei was left on his own yet again.

_"Maybe I should just go back to the room,"_ he thought dismally. It was a Tuesday night, after all, so even if there were others he could hang out with, it's not like any of them would be free. Aside from that, he'd been putting off Akagi-sensei's reading assignment and that would be sure to kick him in the ass later. _"I guess I'll go be responsible."_

His intent had been to return to the room, but for some reason, he found himself staring at another door: the infirmary. Hei swallowed thickly, thought about slapping himself; Naoki needed rest and she probably didn't want to see him anyway. Beside, if Segimori-senpai found out or caught him… He visibly shivered, not wanting to know what would happen to him.

But it was late, so maybe she had gone back to her own room…

He decided to take the risk. He quietly pushed open the door and slipped inside. The room was completely dark, save for a small light coming from the corner. All the beds, except one in the middle, were vacant. Hei tip-toed over to the curled body on the bed and smiled at Naoki's sleeping form. "Get better soon, Naoki," he whispered, pushing wisps of light brown hair out of her face. His fingers lingered on the softness of her skin and he swallowed thickly.

_Creeeeaaak_. The intruding sound pulled him back down to reality and he brought his hand back immediately, finally aware of what he was doing. Her lips, even in sleep, were quirked into a smile. He couldn't help himself; he grinned, as though that smile were directed right at him.

After a few more moments, he silently bid her goodnight and slipped out of the infirmary, completely undetected.


End file.
